D&D 3.5 - Dungeon Master's Guide II

CHAPTER 6

CHARACTERS

Illus. by D. Scott

Their rampart companion spirit protects Tordek, Jozan, and Lidda against the attacks of their foes

3rd-Tier Benefit: This benefit replaces the 2nd-tier 1st-Tier Benefit: Each day, the companion spirit offers 201
benefit. It is identical to that benefit except that the insight a bonus pool on Hide and Move Silently checks equal
bonuses to AC last for 1 round. to double the number of team members. For example, a
five-creature team would have a +10 bonus pool. A team
4th-Tier Benefit: The companion spirit can extrude its member can claim up to half (round up) of the Hide and
energy so it surrounds a team member in a coruscating Move Silently bonus by taking a free action to do so prior
nimbus of yellow-orange energy that provides conceal- to making a Hide or Move Silently check; the bonus applies
ment (and a corresponding 20% miss chance). It can do to both skills, so you can use it twice if you make both
so for a total of 2 rounds per team member. Any team checks in the same round. Once part of the bonus pool is
member can activate or deactivate the nimbus with a move claimed, the size of the bonus pool shrinks accordingly
action, but the total duration on a teamwide basis is limited for the rest of the day.
to 2 rounds per team member. A team of four could have
one member protected for 8 rounds, or they could get 2 2nd-Tier Benefit: The companion spirit can dampen
rounds each, for example. sound around a team member (as a silence spell with a
caster level equal to the Hit Dice of the lowest-level team
5th-Tier Benefit: This benefit replaces the 4th-tier benefit. member). It can do so for a total of 2 rounds per team
It is identical to that benefit except that the nimbus provides member. Any team member can activate or deactivate the
total concealment (and a corresponding 50% miss chance). silence effect with a move action, but the total duration on
a teamwide basis is limited to 2 rounds per team member.
Shadow Companion Spirit Benefits A team of six could have one member as the center of a
While this spirit companion has no overt connection to silence spell for 12 rounds, or they could get 2 rounds each,
undead shadows or the Plane of Shadow, it has an affinity for example.
for all things stealthy and hard to discern.

3rd-Tier Benefit: This benefit replaces the 1st-tier ben- Thunder Companion Spirit Benefits

efit. It is identical to that benefit, except that the bonus pool This companion spirit seems attracted to loud sounds of

is equal to three times the number of team members. all kinds—it’s not for the stealthy or unobtrusive.

4th-Tier Benefit: The companion spirit can render 1st-Tier Benefit: Each team member can call on the

a team member unseen (as an invisibility spell with a companion spirit as a standard action to gain resistance to

caster level equal to the Hit Dice of the lowest-level sonic 5 for 10 minutes, as the companion spirit consumes

team member). It can do so for a total of 2 rounds some of the energy damage itself. Team members activate

per team member. Any team member can activate or their resistance on an individual basis and don’t need to

deactivate the invisibility effect with a move action, but have the benefit running at the same time.

CHAPTER 6 the total duration on a teamwide basis is limited to 2 2nd-Tier Benefit: Once per day, each team member

CHARACTERS rounds per team member. Unlike the standard invis- can call on the power of the companion spirit for a shat-

ibility spell, this benefit doesn’t prevent team members ter spell-like ability with a caster level equal to the Hit

from seeing each other, regardless of whether they have Dice of the lowest-level team member. The save DC is

this benefit active. Charisma-based.

5th-Tier Benefit: This benefit replaces the 3rd-tier ben- 3rd-Tier Benefit: This benefit replaces the 1st-tier

efit. It is identical to that benefit, except that the bonus pool benefit. It is identical to that benefit, except that each team

is equal to four times the number of team members. member gains permanent resistance to sonic 5.

4th-Tier Benefit: Once per day, each team member can

Shroud Companion Spirit Benefits call on the power of the companion spirit for a shout spell-

These companion spirits tend to hover near the border like ability with a caster level equal to the Hit Dice of the

between life and death, keeping the creatures in their care lowest-level team member. The save DC is Charisma-based.

on the life side of that border. Unlike the standard shout spell, this spell-like ability

1st-Tier Benefit: Team members continually have doesn’t affect other team members, so they can stand in

a gentle repose spell-like ability active on them with a its area with impunity.

caster level equal to the Hit Dice of the lowest-level team 5th-Tier Benefit: This benefit replaces the 3rd-tier

member, so their bodies do not decay for days or weeks benefit. It is identical to that benefit, except that each team

after death. member gains permanent resistance to sonic 15.

2nd-Tier Benefit: Once per day, each team member

can call on the power of the companion spirit for a false Tower Companion Spirit Benefits

life spell-like ability with a caster level equal to the Hit Defense wins battles, and no companion spirit offers more

Dice of the lowest-level team member. The temporary hit defense than the tower companion. A kindred spirit to the

points last until the duration expires or the temporary rampart companion, the tower companion offers a broader

hit points are lost in battle. range of defensive benefits.

3rd-Tier Benefit: Each team member gains a +2 1st-Tier Benefit: If you take a full attack action this

insight bonus on saving throws against death effects round, you can voluntarily reduce your attack rolls by

and effects employing negative energy (such as inflict up to –5 and add the same number to a bonus pool. Any

spells), and a +2 insight bonus on Fortitude saves against other team member can use a free action at the beginning

massive damage. of their turn to take 1 point from the bonus pool to gain a

4th-Tier Benefit: The companion spirit can render +1 insight bonus to their AC for 1 round. Unused points

a team member immune to magical death and negative evaporate at the beginning of your next turn.

energy effects (as a death ward spell with a caster level 2nd-Tier Benefit: As an immediate action taken right

equal to the Hit Dice of the lowest-level team member). before you attempt a saving throw, you can ask fellow team

It can do so for a total of 2 minutes per team member. members to grant you an insight bonus on that saving

Any team member can activate or deactivate the death throw. (See page 237 for the definition of an immediate

ward effect with a move action, but the total duration on a action.) The tower companion spirit transfers fateful

teamwide basis is limited to 2 minutes per team member. energy between you and your comrades, so that you gain

A team of six could have one member protected by the a +1 insight bonus on that saving throw for every team

death ward for 12 minutes, or they could get 2 minutes member who agrees to the exchange. Team members who

each, for example. agree to the exchange take a –2 penalty on all saving throws

5th-Tier Benefit: This ability replaces the 3rd-tier for 1 round—including the saving throw from the current

benefit. It is identical to that benefit, except that the effect, if it affects multiple team members simultaneously

saving throw bonus is +4. In addition, team members (such as a fireball).

can activate their 4th-tier benefit as a swift action (see 3rd-Tier Benefit: The companion spirit can make a team

202 page 237). member’s skin preternaturally resistant to damage (as a

stoneskin spell with a caster level equal to the Hit Dice of around that idea. The following material focuses on your

the lowest-level team member). It can do so for a total of 2 needs as the DM.

rounds per team member. Any team member can activate

or deactivate stoneskin effect with a move action, but the THE PLAYERS’ ROLE

total duration on a teamwide basis is limited to 2 rounds DMs who don’t mind sharing the responsibility of cam-

per team member. A team of four could have one member paign development with their players might allow them

protected for 8 rounds, or they could get 2 rounds each, to design prestige classes. As long as the DM remains

for example. involved, such prestige classes are perfectly viable. The

4th-Tier Benefit: This benefit replaces the 2nd-tier DM knows what organizations need prestige classes in the

benefit. It is identical to that benefit, except that you gain campaign, and has general ideas of what such a prestige CHAPTER 6

a +2 insight bonus on that saving throw for every team class should do. Players wishing to develop prestige classes CHARACTERS

member who agrees to the exchange (and accepts the –2 should work closely with their DM to do so.

penalty on their own saving throws).

5th-Tier Benefit: The companion spirit can render WHY CREATE A PRESTIGE CLASS?

hostile magic ineffective, granting spell resistance equal to There are four basic reasons why you should create prestige

the Hit Dice of the lowest-level team member + 12. It can classes for your campaign.

do so for a total of 2 rounds per team member. Any team To Satisfy Players: A player with a ranger character

member can activate or deactivate the spell resistance with wants to be an expert archer. He takes Point Blank Shot

a move action, but the total duration on a teamwide basis and the other appropriate feats, but he wants to be able to

is limited to 2 rounds per team member. Team members perform even greater deeds with his bow. He’s willing to

ignore this spell resistance when casting spells on each sacrifice other aspects of his character to do so, but there

other; the tower companion spirit knows to let such spells don’t seem to be options for him. In response you create the

pass through its defenses. Red Arrow Guild. From the guild, he learns of a number

of different trick shots and special bow-related abilities

DESIGNING he can learn if he joins the group and takes levels in the
PRESTIGE CLASSES master of the red arrow prestige class.

Players have plans or desires for their characters that

Abilities granted by prestige classes are appropriate for extend beyond the bounds of the rules found in the

mid- to high-level characters. Prestige classes are acquired Player’s Handbook. Prestige classes provide a way for you

only by meeting the requirements specific to each example, to develop rules within a balanced format to help meet

which almost always require—in effect—that a character your players’ needs.

be at least mid-level (around 5th or 6th level). Additionally, To Develop an Organization: You’ve already created

there might be nonrules-related requirements that must the Red Arrow Guild, a group of fighters, rangers, and even

be met in-game, such as group membership fees, special rogues who help defend the capital city in times of great

training exercises, quests, and so on. distress. They have a good reputation and a long history.

Prestige classes are purely optional and always under To help further develop this organization, you create the

the purview of the DM. It’s good policy to tightly limit the master of the red arrow prestige class with abilities unique

prestige classes available in your campaign. The prestige to the guild. Now, when people speak of their almost-

classes in the Dungeon Master’s Guide and other sources unnatural prowess, concrete facts describe exactly what

are certainly not all-encompassing or definitive. They they can and cannot actually do.

might not even be appropriate for your campaign. The Prestige classes help you to define monastic orders, secret

best prestige classes for your campaign are the ones you cabals, religious zealots, thieves’ guilds, special military

tailor-make yourself. units, a group of people trained under a specific teacher,

sorcerers from a particular area, or bards who studied at the

THE DM’S ROLE same college. If you’re not already creating organizations

Prestige classes allow a Dungeon Master to create exclusive, like this in your campaign, you should be. Prestige classes

campaign-specific roles and positions. These special roles distinguish them from one another. If the wizards of the

offer abilities and powers otherwise inaccessible to PCs and Arcane Order know different spells and have different abili-

focus them in specific, interesting directions. A character ties than the wizards of the Open Hand Guild, it makes both

with a prestige class will be more specialized yet perhaps groups, and the campaign as a whole, more interesting.

slightly better than one without. These DM-created tools Using prestige classes with campaign organizations

lend specifics and actual mechanics to the details of your also encourages player characters to join or at least inves-

world. In short, you come up with a particular group or tigate these groups. Prestige classes offer you a way to use

role for your campaign, and create a prestige class based the rules to draw players into your campaign world and 203

involve them in whatever sorts of politics, intrigues, and PRESTIGE CLASS OR
STANDARD CLASS?
adventures you have in store.

To Develop a Race or Culture: As with organizations, Ideally, the choice of gaining a level in the character’s

races and cultures benefit from specific rules that showcase primary class (or only class, if not multiclassing) or taking

their abilities. a prestige class should be a tough decision. A prestige class

While it’s fine to declare that “elves operate well in the might allow access to new skills or spells, but can be more

woods,” or “gnomes are tricky,” such statements carry greater restrictive than the standard class. Perhaps it has a slower

weight with rules to back them up. Prestige classes (the elven attack progression or less desirable saves. If a player has a

woodstalker and the gnome trickster, for example) provide tough time deciding whether her character should take

CHAPTER 6 those rules. another level of rogue from the Player’s Handbook or should

CHARACTERS Cultures garner even greater benefit from prestige start taking levels of your prestige class, you’ve probably

classes. Game rules don’t provide distinctions for how the balanced your prestige class correctly.

people from the Southern Kingdom in your campaign

differ from the folk of the Direwood Forest. You could NAMING AND CORE CONCEPT

create an extensive description of how the spear-using You have an advantage that no game designer can ever have:

warriors of the south have a completely different fighting You know the specific details of your campaign. When cre-

style than the hardy, no-nonsense approach of the war- ating a prestige class, use your knowledge of these details

riors of the Direwood. The southern speardancer and the to their fullest. The first rule is to forget the general and

Direwood ranger prestige classes directly speak for those embrace the specific. You’re not creating a prestige class for

differences. Culture-based prestige classes can tie into PC everyone’s campaign—just for yours. The examples below

backgrounds; perhaps only characters from the Sunlost show how general prestige class names, when modified

Desert can take the knife-fighter prestige class. It makes toward particular organizations, become more specific

every culture and every populated place that you create and therefore better defined in your campaign.

for your campaign truly special.

To Make Otherwise Poor Options Acceptable: While Holy warrior Champion of Pelor

this reason ties in with the first, it’s worth mentioning on City guard Greyhawk watchman

its own. A prestige class can take a poor choice, such as Martial disciple Order of the Fist disciple

specializing in the whip, and make it worthwhile. Poten- Woodsman Darkwater Pass tracker

tially, you could create prestige classes that grant interesting

abilities for characters who spend a lot of skill points on DESIGNING REQUIREMENTS

Intimidate or a particular knowledge or craft. Characters All prestige class requirements are based around the idea

who choose strange multiclass combinations, put their that the character who qualifies for the class is already well

best score in Charisma (and who aren’t bards or sorcerers), on his way to becoming someone who can do the things

or come from less optimal races (goblin or kobold PCs, for that the prestige class excels in. Someone qualifying for

example) could have access to prestige classes that make the Misty Peaks mountaineer prestige class should already

those choices worthwhile. have 6 ranks in Climb and 4 in Use Rope—in other words,

The Hidden Fifth Reason: Any number of organiza- he’s already an expert climber when he qualifies for the

tions could oppose the PCs, along with races such as gnolls, elite title of mountaineer.

goblins, and orcs. Some campaigns establish evil cultures Two types of requirements can be used to determine

as major opponents. DMs should strongly consider design- who can take a prestige class. The first type is game

ing prestige classes only available to the opposition. Such requirements. These are hard and fast rules—often

classes should have a broader utility than merely taking numerical values—that a character must fulfill to qualify.

advantage of PC weaknesses or nullifying PC strengths. The second type is character requirements. These can be

They make the campaign unique, provide memorable aspects of a character—race, age, religion, and so on—as

encounters, and transform the opposition into real threats well as deeds that the character has accomplished. For

with which the PCs must reckon. example, a candidate for the hunter of the dead prestige

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BEHIND THE CURTAIN: WHY REQUIREMENTS? something for nothing. Similarly, taking a level of a prestige
First, there’s the idea of “prestige.” If any commoner can qualify class should never be a more obvious or desirable choice than
for the class, the class lacks prestige. Second, prestige classes taking a level of a standard class. Requirements force charac-
offer powerful abilities not normally available to characters. ters to consider which they wish to do.
Requirements impose a cost, so that characters don’t get

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204

class, which specializes in fighting undead, must have had Feats: List all feat requirements, including any prereq- CHAPTER 6
a negative level bestowed by an energy draining undead. uisite armor or weapon proficiencies.
Sometimes these are simply roleplaying hooks that tie into CHARACTERS
the organization or culture that a prestige class represents, Base Attack Bonus: Do not use a modified attack roll.
such as pledging allegiance to a monarch, paying initial This requirement isn’t necessary if skill ranks already set
membership dues, or performing a specific religious rite. the minimum class level for the prestige class. Use this
Use nongame mechanics requirements to add life and instead of stringent skill rank requirements for combat-
flavor to prestige classes, but don’t use them for game oriented prestige classes.
balance purposes.
Base Save Bonus: Base saving throw bonuses group
No requirement should be based on a die roll. That character classes differently than base attack bonuses.
means that ability scores (or ability score bonuses), hit For instance, you can choose a base Fortitude save bonus,
points, or other aspects of a character determined by a which puts fighters, monks, and clerics on the same level,
die should never be used as a prestige class requirement. or choose a base Will save bonus requirement and have
Requirements should be based on choices—feats, skills clerics, wizards, and monks all meeting the prerequisites
ranks, and the like. at the same time.

Further, remember that prestige classes do not map to Special Abilities: When used as prestige class require-
existing classes. That is to say, no prestige class should limit ments, special abilities such as evasion, rage, or turning
itself to members of a regular class. Class and level are not undead might define the focus of the class.
good requirements. That said, once you assign a set number
of ranks, feats, and so on as requirements, it’s not difficult Spellcasting Ability: This either requires the ability to
to figure out which class can meet those requirements at cast arcane or divine spells of a certain level or the ability
what level. Rogues can attain the assassin prestige class to cast specific spells. Requiring spells of a certain type
in the Dungeon Master’s Guide, for example, quicker (at 5th (arcane or divine) and level opens the class to more spell-
level) than other classes, but even wizards could potentially casters. Requiring specific spells might focus the prestige
meet the requirements (at 13th level). class to druids, bards, or wizards, depending on the spell.
Since sorcerers know fewer spells than wizards, requiring
No prestige class should be attainable by a character a specific spell might prevent sorcerers from taking the
lower than 5th level. class. Be aware of those effects of the requirement.

Good Requirements Domains: Some prestige classes, such as those specific
The following requirements help define the type to a religion or cause, might require a specific cleric
of characters who might wish to qualify for a given domain.
prestige class.
Skill Ranks: The requirement is a number of ranks Special: This category covers other game-mechanic
in one or more specific skills, not total skill bonus. Skill requirements. It also includes restrictions. Character
requirements might each require different ranks. Skill requirements can include race, gender (use rarely), align-
ranks make it easier for members of certain standard ment, patron deity (most commonly used in the FORGOTTEN
classes to enter the prestige class, if the skill in question REALMS setting), or accomplishments (see the sidebar).
is on their class skill list. Skill ranks also set class level
to enter the prestige class (see Table 3–2: Experience and Poor Requirements
Level-Dependent Benefits, page 22 of the Player’s Handbook, The following requirements overly limit or restrict the
for maximum skill ranks). type of characters who might wish to qualify for a given
prestige class.
Character or Class Level: This requirement discour-
ages creativity among players. Base attack bonus effectively

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EXAMPLE ACCOMPLISHMENTS —Perform a seemingly impossible task (walk on water, capture
Creating a prestige class requirement that describes a par- the breath of a bird)
ticular accomplishment is a good way to give the class a —Win a race, duel, or other contest
distinctive flavor. Depending on the concept behind the class, —Discover a secret password
the accomplishment can involve combat, a journey, a mental —Impress an important person with words and wit
exercise, or some other specific endeavor. Some examples are —Create a great work of art (a song, a dance, or a painting)
provided below. —Solve a riddle
—Kill a specific monster —Get a specific tattoo
—Visit a hard-to-reach shrine —Always wear a specific color
—Endure an ordeal of pain —Always tell the truth
—Retrieve a rare herb —Perform a daily ritual
—Complete an individualized quest —Tithe 10% of all wealth gained

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205

sets a minimum character level, but not every prestige class characters must have at least five levels in base character

requires a minimum base attack bonus. Let players figure classes to qualify. Ten-level prestige classes have enough

out how to meet the class requirements as best they can. special abilities to attract player characters without requir-

Concentrate on those requirements members of a prestige ing any special rules for handling characters with more

class would naturally all meet. than twenty levels.

Character Class: With the ease and prevalence of multi-

classing, you should let players figure out what classes, and Hit Dice

how many levels of each, their characters need to qualify When you set the requirements for your prestige class,

for a class. you decide what standard classes easily qualify for the

CHAPTER 6 Ability Score: Magic items aside, this makes entering class. You know what Hit Dice those classes use. You

CHARACTERS a prestige class entirely a matter of luck. Not only does a can choose to give the prestige class a larger Hit Die,

player have to roll high enough when he builds his char- the same HD, an average of the likely entry class’s Hit

acter, but he must guess what ability will give him access Dice, or fewer HD. This choice is part of the balancing

to a prestige class that might not exist yet. of the prestige class.

Hit Points: Again, this makes entering a prestige class No class should have less than a d4 for Hit Dice, and none

entirely a matter of luck. should have more than d12. Classes only use unmodified

Armor Class: Characters don’t live in their armor. die rolls for hit points, though class abilities might provide

Using this requirement creates all kinds of ugly questions bonus hit points at specific levels.

about how long a character must wear armor (or an armor-

influencing magic item) every day to be able to earn a level Class Skills and Skill Points

of the prestige class. Generally speaking, the number of skill points and the

Redundant Requirements: There’s no point in number of class skills should be directly related. There’s

requiring both a base attack bonus and a base save, or a no point in having a huge list of class skills if the character

base attack bonus and skill ranks, or a base save and skill doesn’t have the skill points to take advantage of it. The

ranks. Any one of these sets a level requirement to enter opposite is also true: There’s no point in having a stack

the class. Pick the one most appropriate for your vision of of skill points and not having a long list of class skills on

the prestige class. The exception is when only one is the which to spend them.

“true” level requirement. You might want characters with Classes get two, four, six, or eight skill points, modified

Run, Endurance, and Combat Reflexes (which a human by the character’s Intelligence. A prestige class should not

fighter can have at 1st level), 8 ranks in Climb and 8 ranks “give away” the skill list, making every skill a class skill.

in Swim (which several classes can accomplish by 5th Class skills should reflect the nature and pursuits of the

level), and a base attack bonus of +6. The feats and skills prestige class.

represent things you want all members of the prestige

class to be able to do, while the base attack bonus sets the Base Attack Bonus

level requirement. Attack progression governs every form of combat, from

greatswords to rays. If a combat-focused prestige class

BASIC FEATURES has several impressive abilities, slowing the attack

OF PRESTIGE CLASSES progression helps balance the class. Classes with a lot

The basics shared by all classes are levels, Hit Dice, class of noncombat abilities might need a relative fast attack

skills and skill points, base attack bonus, and base save progression to keep the choice between prestige class

bonus. Table 3–1: Base Save and Base Attack Bonuses on and standard class from shifting too far in favor of the

page 22 of the Player’s Handbook should prove very helpful standard class.

when designing these aspects of your prestige classes. There are four possible attack progressions. Three of

them appear in Table 3–1: Base Save and Base Attack

Levels Bonuses, page 22 of the Player’s Handbook. The fourth possi-

In most cases, prestige classes have either five or ten bility is +0, where attack progression never improves. That

designed levels. It’s possible to have fifteen or even twenty. should only be used in rare and extreme cases, however.

You might even design one with as few as three. Prestige Few characters will put their attack progression on hold

classes with five or fewer levels generally fill a very for as few as five levels, and they certainly won’t for ten.

specific purpose. To make achieving the requirements

worthwhile, they must pack a lot of special abilities into Base Save Bonus

their few levels. Prestige classes with twenty levels, on The progression for saving throws appears in Table 3–1:

the other hand, border on the Epic (see the Epic Level Base Save and Base Attack Bonuses, page 22 of the Player’s

206 Handbook for information on that style of play) since Handbook. For each new prestige class, you choose whether

CHAPTER 6

CHARACTERS

Depending on the prestige class choices he makes, Tarn (center) could become a dagger-wielding assassin (left) or a fierce knight in shining armor Illus. by W. England

the class gets a single good save, two good saves, or all good Major abilities, particularly brand-new powers, should be

saves. If the class doesn’t get all good saves, choose which carefully considered. They should never be more powerful

save or saves gets the better bonus. or useful than the types of things that other classes can

In general, combat-oriented classes have good Fortitude do. Look at existing class abilities, feats, and the prestige

saves, spellcasters have good Will saves, and other classes classes in the Dungeon Master’s Guide for ideas. Borrow

have good Reflex saves. If giving a class two good saves, directly from the abilities of other classes when designing

use these guidelines for one of them. All good saves is a a prestige class if you need to.

powerful lure for any class, so use it sparingly.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency

Feats In many cases, all you need to say is “A [prestige class

As a rule, bonus feats are not exciting abilities for prestige name] gains no additional proficiency in any weapon or

classes. Avoid lists of bonus feats. armor.” Prestige classes never remove weapon or armor

DESIGNING ABILITIES proficiencies. If you want to limit access to armor, you can
word special abilities so they only function when class

Every level of a prestige class should include a significant members wear light armor, or medium or light armor.

benefit. Spellcasters specifically have a difficult time If the class skill list contains skills affected by armor

justifying missing out on the new spells they gain with check penalties, then it also helps restrict armor. A third

each level, and so prestige classes aimed at spellcasters option can restrict weapons as well: Give the class a code

must be particularly attractive. The first ability or abilities of behavior that swears off using certain weapons, types

gained should be matched to the minimum level at which of weapons, or armor.

a character could possibly qualify for the class. Thus, if a For further weapon restriction, focus the special abilities

ranger can qualify for the class at 4th level, the first level on a group of weapons or specific weapon. The lasher and the

of the prestige class should be approximately equivalent master of chains, for instance, gain little if any benefit from

to the 5th level a ranger might gain. their classes unless using a whip or a chain, respectively. 207

CHAPTER 6 Spells, Spell Lists, and Caster Levels 4th, more 2nd-level spells than 3rd, and more 1st-level
Some argue that you can’t design a spellcasting prestige spells than 2nd.
CHARACTERS class without making “+1 level of existing class” the spell
progression. Members of the class might gain a caster level A spell list should have the spells appropriate for the
every level, every other level, or every three levels. Gaining class and no more—for a wide variety of spells, a character
caster levels less often than that removes spellcasting from can pick up a level of wizard or cleric.
the primary focus of the class, so the class abilities have
to compensate by being more desirable. Occasionally, if a spell is a “signature” spell of a prestige
Providing a short list of spells available to the prestige class, you can lower the level that the class gets the spell
class gives spellcasting ability to characters that don’t have by one. For example, for a flame mage prestige class,
it normally, rather than creating a true spellcasting prestige wall of fire might be considered a 3rd-level rather than
class. If providing a list, you must also provide a table a 4th-level spell. This technique should be used spar-
showing access to the spells by class level. Table 6–11, ingly. Do this only once or twice for a given class, if at
below, provides spell access for all the standard classes. all. Normally, if a class has other attractive powers or
benefits, it’s not necessary.
Table 6–11: Access to Spells (By Class Level)
COSTS AND BALANCING
Cleric,
Levels in a prestige class should never be so good that a
Druid, Paladin character would be foolish not to take them. Balancing the
class prevents that possibility. Before working on prestige
Spell or Wizard Sorcerer Bard or Ranger Adept class abilities, consider what a character must give up to
take the class. The things given up are the costs of entering
Level Level Level Level* Level* Level* the prestige class.

0 1st 1st 1st — 1st Hit Dice: Some classes clearly qualify for a prestige class
sooner than others. Those classes might have to accept a
1st 1st 1st 2nd 4th 1st smaller Hit Die when taking levels of the prestige class.
For them, this is a cost, but for other classes that Hit Die
2nd 3rd 4th 4th 8th 4th might be larger. For instance, a prestige class that uses a
d8 for Hit Dice has a cost for barbarians, fighters, paladins,
3rd 5th 6th 7th 11th 8th and rangers, but it represents a benefit for bards, rogues,
sorcerers, and wizards.
4th 7th 8th 10th 14th 12th
Skill Points: Clearly, certain classes never lose when
5th 9th 10th 13th — 16th they take a prestige class. Fighters and wizards can’t have
any fewer skill points than they already do, for instance.
6th 11th 12th 16th — — Just like with Hit Dice, one class’s gain might be another
class’s loss. A prestige class that grants 4 skill points per
7th 13th 14th — —— level +Int modifier represents a gain for fighters and
wizards, but a loss for rogues.
8th 15th 16th — ——
Class Skills: The impact of a class skill list can be tricky
9th 17th 18th — —— to judge. A class with a long skill list and commensurate
skill points seems like a gain for many classes, but if the
*Provided character has access to bonus spells. prestige class’s skill list is sufficiently different from the
list of the classes most attracted to it, it might not be a
When assigning how many spells a character can cast at benefit at all.
a given level, look to the Player’s Handbook for examples of
spell progression. If your prestige class prepares spells as Attack Progression: As mentioned above, base attack
a cleric, use the cleric and druid tables as guides. If your bonus can be a cost. A wizard or sorcerer can’t have a worse
class prepares spells as a wizard, use the wizard table
as a model. If your class doesn’t prepare spells, use the
sorcerer tables.

Spell lists should always have more low-level spells
than high level. As a result, it’s best to start the list by
choosing the highest-level spells the class can know.
Then you can list a greater number of spells at the level
below that, and more spells still at the next lower level,
and so on. For example, suppose you create a class that,
like paladins and rangers, can know spells up to 4th level.
The class spell list should have more 3rd-level spells than

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PALADINS AND MONKS Multiclass Note: Monk (or paladin, as appropriate) characters
When designing prestige classes, paladins and monks call for can freely multiclass with this class. Monks (or paladins) who
special consideration. Because these two classes cannot multi- have already taken levels in another class can again take monk (or
class freely, it’s harder to persuade members to take an interest paladin) levels after gaining a level as a [prestige class name].
in prestige classes. When designing a prestige class whose
members should include paladins, monks, or both, consider A prestige class that offers a great deal of power might not
adding the following note: need this note. A well-balanced prestige class might need it to
keep the choice from shifting too far in favor of simply taking
levels in the standard class.

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208

attack progression than his standard class, but all the other Party Role Classes: Four basic roles define the classic CHAPTER 6
classes can. adventuring party: combatant, sneak, arcane caster, and
divine caster. Combatant classes include barbarian, fighter, CHARACTERS
Save Progression: If a class has two or all good saves, monk, paladin, and ranger. Bard, monk, rogue, and ranger
then a prestige class with fewer good saves needs enticing are examples of sneak classes. Arcane casters obviously 209
abilities to draw members. For instance, a monk-focused include sorcerers and wizards, and bards as well. Cleric and
prestige class, such as one with the slow fall (30 ft.) ability druid are examples of divine caster classes, as are paladin
as a requirement, with only one good save needs powerful and ranger to a lesser extent. Choices in feats, skills, spells,
abilities to attract any but ex-monks. and class abilities all help to customize these standard
classes. Party role prestige classes carry this customization
Feats: Feats are a cost for a prestige class in two cases. a step further. The duelist’s special abilities clearly set it
First, requiring less optimal feats is a cost. If a prestige apart from a fighter with a rapier and Weapon Finesse. The
class requires the feats Endurance, Great Fortitude, and shadowdancer’s abilities are very different from those of
Run, fighters would have to give up Weapon Focus, Power monks or rogues. The archmage and the hierophant are
Attack, and similar typical fighter feats to qualify. Requir- the arcane and divine casters, respectively, at the top of
ing feats not on a class’s bonus feat list also represents a their chosen fields.
special cost.
The archmage and the hierophant provide important
Special Abilities and Spellcasting: Both of these examples of another option in prestige class design. Rather
requirements create a cost because they might force char- than having twenty levels (as standard classes do) or ten
acters to multiclass to enter a prestige class. levels (as the arcane archer, duelist, dwarven defender, and
shadowdancer do), they only have five. That’s because the
Domains: This requirement might force a cleric to classes they’re based on, cleric and wizard, do a good job
change patron deity in order to qualify for a prestige class. of supporting the party roles already.
The loss of domain powers and change in domain spells
can be a real cost for such characters. Iconic Classes: Fantasy literature has helped to define
certain iconic roles. Some, such as the barbarian, are
Special: The special requirements can impose a cost. standard classes in the Player’s Handbook. Others require
Characters wishing to take levels of the prestige class must prestige classes. The assassin and the blackguard are iconic
accept that cost. For instance, you might design a prestige images in the D&D framework, and the game could never
class with restrictions on multiclassing similar to those be complete without them.
placed on paladins or monks. Hunter of the dead offers
another example, requiring candidates to have lost a level These two classes, the assassin and the blackguard, are
to the attack of an undead creature. also examples of another use for prestige classes. According
to the Player’s Handbook, “Standard characters are good
Special Considerations or neutral but not evil. Evil alignments are for villains
Prestige classes tied to organizations might have ongoing and monsters.” These prestige classes exist for NPCs,
requirements. These can include assignments, dues, strict providing you with memorable opponents to pit against
obedience to specific rules, or personal sacrifices of wealth. the heroic PCs.
Becoming a member of a prestige class might involve
apprenticing for a time to another member, or eventually Race-Based Classes: Racial prestige classes develop
serving as a mentor for a prospective member. a race further by providing specific rules to showcase
Entry into a prestige class might come with strings its abilities. While each race detailed in the Player’s
attached. Powerful enemies seek members out, or those Handbook has different abilities, the arcane archer and
among the group’s ranks face the prejudices of the local the dwarven defender help demonstrate how—through
folk. Membership in certain prestige classes might even the rules—each race fits the archetypes represented in
be illegal, particularly if they dabble in forbidden knowl- campaign worlds and fantasy traditions. You could easily
edge. These “strings” can come along with prestige classes create prestige classes that further define these archetypes,
that represent a specific group in the campaign world, or such as the dwarven smith, the halfling hill-scout, or the
they can be tied to prestige classes that simply deal with half-orc demolisher.
knowledge. The dragonslayers might not be a formal
organization, for example, but their reputation precedes Situational Classes: Sometimes you want a character
them nonetheless. to really shine in a particular situation. While feats, skills,
and class abilities allow that, prestige classes let you take
Prestige Class Categories it a step further.
In general, prestige classes fall into the following catego-
ries. When you’re inventing your own prestige class, think The loremaster is an example of the value of advancing
about how you’d classify it—or use the categories below as a spellcaster. The loremaster continues to gain spells
to inspire your creations. known, spells per day, and caster levels as if she were
gaining levels in her standard class. This is extraordinarily

valuable to spellcasters, and so the class must have cor- abstract it might be—the characters don’t diffuse their

responding costs. efforts. An elf paladin and a dwarf rogue might ordinarily

Game Function Classes: Game function prestige not give each other the time of day, but if they’re part of

classes revolve around esoteric rules or functions, such as the same organization, they already have a connection

planar travel or psionics. Where party role prestige classes they can build a friendship on. As your game grows with

focus on party needs and situational prestige classes focus new players and new characters, you have an easy way to

on recurring situations in a campaign, the game function connect them to the existing PCs: They’re part of the larger

prestige class specializes in one aspect of the game rules. organization, not complete strangers.

The horizon walker, for example, focuses on long-distance It Immerses PCs in the Game World: Left to their

CHAPTER 6 travel and adapting to wilderness environments. It goes own designs, some PCs drift across the surface of the

CHARACTERS beyond what a ranger could achieve through skill selection. world you create, never becoming truly involved in any of

You could create similar classes around ranged combat, the societies, conflicts, and plots you have spun. For some

necromancy, or turning undead. styles of play, that’s fine, but many D&D players like to

Combination Classes: Usually a character must slow feel like the struggles of the game world matter to their

development of a class feature while gaining levels in characters. A PC organization is a good way to “ground”

another class. A prestige class lets a character focus on the players in the setting, giving them a set of enemies

those features she wants to develop while sacrificing those and allies they can accept or rebel against.

she doesn’t. The arcane trickster is an example of crossing It Makes a DM’s Life Easier: Most PC organiza-

rogues with arcane casters. The eldritch knight crosses tions provide some sort of tangible benefits to their

arcane casters with fighters or other combat-focused members—otherwise, what PC would want to join? A

prestige classes. You can explore these kinds of combina- good organization provides benefits to the DM as well. If

tions when a player expresses a desire to pick and choose the PCs are loyal to an organization, the DM can get an

among class abilities—as long as the prestige class holds adventure rolling quickly by having its leaders direct the

commensurate costs. PCs to take action against some threat. The organization

can also provide a safe home (either literally or figura-

tively) where the players can recover between struggles

PC ORGANIZATIONS and spend their downtime.

Some characters prefer an independent existence, choos-

ing no affiliation greater than their association with the CONSTRUCTING A
other PCs at the table. Others join larger groups of dozens, PC ORGANIZATION

hundreds, or thousands of NPCs. Whether it’s a national Building an organization that the PCs will want to join is

army, a secret society, or a pirate ship’s crew, the organiza- more art than science; there’s no right or wrong way to do

tion a PC joins offers advantages and responsibilities that it. The three example organizations provided below share

independent characters don’t have. Used properly, an orga- a common format, which contains elements you might

nization that all the PCs at your table can join strengthens want to add to your own organizations.

the bonds between characters, immerses them further into Entry Requirements: Unlike a prestige class, it’s okay

the game world, and adds drama to their adventures. for an organization to admit low-level members. You don’t

In some ways, PC organizations are like prestige classes. need to refer to specific game mechanics at all if they aren’t

Characters often have to earn their way in, they receive appropriate for an organization.

special benefits to match their special membership, and Benefits: The organization should provide some tan-

the group they choose suggests a particular way of life. gible benefit, unless you’re completely sure that the players

The ideal PC organization is something that everyone at your table will join it for entirely altruistic reasons. D&D

at your gaming table, regardless of race or class, wants to is already replete with reward systems for PCs, so you don’t

join. Organizations tend to have long-term goals that the need to give away big benefits. Focus instead on benefits

PCs can jointly achieve. If a class or prestige class is the that make your game run more smoothly.

answer to the “Who am I?” question, the PC organization For example, if an organization gives PCs easy and inex-

is the answer to the “Who are we?” question. pensive access to a 9th-level NPC cleric, that makes your

job easier. A PC who dies can get a raise dead spell quickly,

CAMPAIGN BENEFITS minimizing the player’s time away from the action at the

A good PC organization takes some work for the DM to game table. It’s a tangible benefit to the players, but doesn’t

create, but it provides three main benefits for your ongo- actively affect the PCs in everyday play.

ing campaign. Consider the following benefit categories.

It Improves PC Cohesion: Because everyone works Economics: You can make changes to the usual buying

210 toward the organization’s overall goal—however broad or and selling rules by inventing an organization that pays

more than 50% value for certain items, or one that offers Advancement: Decide how the organization recruits CHAPTER 6
a discount on purchased items. new members and what it feels like to undergo the process
of joining. Then consider what ongoing membership is CHARACTERS
You can also create an organization that pays its members like, and what opportunities for advancement the PCs
outright, but consider carefully how radically a D&D will have. 211
player’s sense of wealth changes as the game reaches higher
levels. A salary of 100 gp a month looks like a prince’s Missions: What sort of missions does the organiza-
ransom at 1st level, but amounts to a pittance at 15th tion undertake? Are they tailored toward specific goals
level. If you want to have the organization pay the PCs, or meant to pursue general principles? Are characters
consider alternatives to salary. The organization might assigned every tasks, or can they take their own initiative
offer to cover adventuring expenses (such as expensive when pursuing the organization’s goals? Missions can
material components) or offer bonus-based pay (such as be as simple or as complex as you (and the needs of the
bounties). That way you maintain overall control of the organization) decree.
D&D economy at your game table.
Responsibilities: Consider carefully what the mini-
Gear: Some organizations provide equipment outright, mum level of participation is for the PCs to stay in the
such as magic items, horses, or a sailing ship. This category organization. D&D players are fond of rushing off to save
includes loaned gear, too. As with paying PCs outright, the world at a moment’s notice, so you want to allow a
consider how the perceived value of the item changes as certain degree of freedom in most organizations.
the characters attain more levels.
Structure: Decide who’s in charge, and the agenda of
Services: The NPC members of an organization can the leadership. Then figure out what the subordinate lead-
do things for the PCs, such as cast spells on their behalf ers are like. Spend some time brainstorming about other
and make magic items with raw materials the characters notable members, such as the organization’s founder, a
provide them. Access to low-level laborers and hirelings particularly noteworthy hero, or a traitor whose name
falls into this category as well. everyone curses. If your players like a political element
to their game, develop factions and rivalries within the
Information: Some organizations are useful for the things organization, or conflicts between one organization
they can tell a character. Establish Knowledge check and another.
bonuses for the sages within an organization. Member-
ship can also provide conveniences such as language NPC Reactions: Figure out how the average “peasant
translation, access to rare books and maps, and access to in the street” reacts to the organization. Then consider
spellbooks for PC wizards. Clue-based magical divinations how the various groups and factions important to your
such as contact other plane are a powerful example of this campaign might react differently. How important this
resource, but giving PCs unlimited access to the power of element is depends greatly on whether the organization
prophecy can be a recipe for disaster if you aren’t prepared is public or secret.
for them to use it.
Lore: If someone wants to learn more about the orga-
Access: Organizations can have interesting headquar- nization, what skill applies? What are the DCs to learn
ters and other important locations, such as fortresses, different details about a group? It is harder to learn about
planar gates, or forbidden islands. They might offer obscure or secret organizations than it is to learn about
unusual means of transport, such as desert caravans and public organizations with storied histories.
flying ships. Again, these benefits provide convenience
for you as the DM—they get the PCs to the adventure Encounters: Figure out the features that lend them-
sites faster. selves to a fun encounter with members of the organization,
whether the PCs join the group or not. Create stats for the
Status: Finally, some organizations have an element of characters the PCs will interact with. This might be the
social status attached to them, whether within society at leadership, or it might be the rank-and-file members,
large (such as a noble order of knights) or a subculture depending on the organization and the level of the PCs. It
(such as a thieves’ guild). might be tempting to try to produce statistics for the entire
organization, but you’ll be better served by focusing your
If you tie a prestige class to the organization, you should efforts on the NPCs that the characters are most likely to
require membership in the organization for any prospec- meet during a game session.
tive member of the prestige class.
Adaptation: The three organizations presented below
Combat: D&D adventures tend to involve combat, and feature examples of how to modify them for use in your
the organizations that create those adventures are well unique game world.
aware of the dangers of the world they live in. Not all
organizations feature combat as their main focus, of course, Other Game Elements: An organization can often
but all at least recognize the benefit of a strong defense. be the inspiration for a location, magic item, feat, spell,
How an organization faces threats reinforces the nature or prestige class, if the organization has developed any of
of its mission and purpose. these things for its members.

ORDER OF a particular site in exchange for a cut of the profits. The
ANCIENT MYSTERIES order has plenty of its own agents, however, so it only uses
freelance help if order members are otherwise occupied,

“We are so proud of our grand cities, our far-flung empires, and or if the freelancers have unique abilities or access to the

our powerful magic. Yet in the dim past lie buried wonders that site in question.

would stagger our feeble imaginations.” In any case, the order prides itself on its ability to match

Urtenek Mauroch, researcher expedition members to the potential dangers of a site.

for the Order of Ancient Mysteries When characters first join the order, they undergo a series

of physical, mental, and magical tests so that the order

CHAPTER 6 A shadowy group devoted to uncovering the lost lore of the has some idea of their capabilities. They are then sent off

CHARACTERS past, the Order of Ancient Mysteries sends its members far to a ruin, dungeon, or other site believed to have minor

and wide to explore ruins, brave their dangers, and return historical significance. The more historical lore and valu-

with wagonloads of long-buried treasures. able treasure the characters bring back to the order, the

more lucrative—and dangerous—their next assignment

Joining the Order will be.

The order knows how dangerous its work is, so it insists

on a minimum level of competence among its agents ORDER OF ANCIENT
for their own safety. The order takes pains to separate MYSTERIES BENEFITS

itself from mere tomb robbers—by motive if not by The Order of Ancient Mysteries has been delving into

methods—so all members have at least a passing famil- tombs, temples, and ruins for centuries, so it can afford to

iarity with ancient history. be picky about what it takes from an expedition. Accord-

Entry Requirements: Base Fortitude, Reflex, and Will ingly, as members, PCs can keep almost all the treasure

saves +1; Knowledge (history) 1 rank. they extract from a site. The order wants only specific

The Order of Ancient Mysteries knows that all the safe, items of historical significance, many of which have little

easily explored ruins have long been thoroughly picked or no intrinsic value. The order sustains itself as a peer-

over by historians and adventures. What remain are the less broker of historical information and a dealer in rare

dangerous, remote, and well-guarded sites, so the order antiquities, so it can afford to leave the garden-variety loot

recruits bodyguards, healers, and “access experts” to accom- in the hands of its explorers. Not surprisingly, the promise

pany the learned researchers. Thus, every class has a place of riches motivates those explorers to risk life and limb

within the order, from the fighter who battles the jungle on the next expedition.

natives, to the rogue who disarms the crypt-door trap, to Economics: The Order of Ancient Mysteries finds itself

the cleric who destroys a tomb’s undead guardians. in possession of many antiquities that, once studied, are of

Because the Order of Ancient Mysteries grew out of the no further use to the researchers. While an ancient magic

merger of other esoteric societies and cabals, monks and sword doesn’t do any good to the order historian in her

wizards are particularly common within its ranks. The office, it’s definitely useful to the order’s explorers.

wizards’ tendency to thirst for knowledge makes them As an agent of the order, a character can purchase magic

good researchers, while the monks’ strong self-discipline weapons, armor, rings, rods, and wondrous items for 80%

enables them to pursue the order’s goals without distrac- of their listed market price. Doing so is time-consuming,

tion or fear. however, and even the order’s vaults don’t contain every

An expedition of the Order of Ancient Mysteries looks magic item under the sun. If a PC is interested in obtain-

a lot like a typical group of adventurers—and that’s no ing a specific magic item from the order, he must wait

accident. Whatever the PCs’ class, they will find their two weeks while his request works its way through the

versatility and special abilities put to the test by the many order’s various branches. The item might be available

dangers of the ruins they explore. (30% chance), with a further 30% chance that a similar

PCs usually receive an invitation to join the Order of item is available.

Ancient Mysteries after they have uncovered items of Taken collectively, the Order of Ancient Mysteries’

historical significance as part of their adventurers. If they branches have a gold piece limit of 70,000 gp (as if the order

sell the emerald-encrusted ankh they found in a mummy’s was a community between a large city and a metropolis

tomb, for example, the PCs might meet an agent of the in size; see page 137 of the Dungeon Master’s Guide).

order as the buyer. That buyer will then start a conversa- Gear: The flip side of keeping the bulk of the loot from

tion, which in turn might eventually lead to an invitation its explorations is that the order expects the PCs to be self-

to join the Order of Ancient Mysteries. sufficient explorers. The order doesn’t equip adventurers,

More rarely, the order approaches adventurers in a but it will provide logistical assistance and transport for

212 patronage role, offering them the opportunity to explore particularly large or unusual expeditions.

For example, if the order tasks the characters with At the regional headquarters, characters can meet with

recovering the three pieces of the Colossus of Korvenon research planners who provide them with new sites to

(a 40-foot-tall statue), it will provide the train of wagons explore, get help with logistical matters such as hiring

required to transport the pieces back to civilization. porters, and deliver the antiquities when the expedition is

Protecting the wagon train is still the PCs’ responsibil- over. Only order members make it past the headquarters’

ity, however. entry hall—not everyone is worthy to gaze on the accu-

Services: The order’s research directors are accustomed mulated lore of the past.

to setting up expeditions, so they often acquire hirelings The order also maintains secure vaults where it keeps

such as porters, teamsters, translators, and guides for a its accumulated antiquities—especially those it hopes

group of explorers. The order usually pays the hirelings, will reward further study. The order’s vaults are almost CHAPTER 6

although PCs would be wise to offer them a small percent- always in remote locations and bristle with both magical CHARACTERS

age of the expedition’s proceeds as well. and mundane defenses. Many vaults were once sites of

Information: First and foremost, the Order of Ancient historical significance that the order fully explored and

Mysteries can provide the location of sites for charac- then appropriated for its own storage purposes. The order’s

ters to explore. The order’s collection of ancient maps explorers rarely receive access to the vaults, the locations

is without equal, and is constantly being updated and of which are a secret known only to the higher echelons

improved by explorers. A typical adventure for the order of researchers.

begins with a research planner telling the PCs something

like, “Recent research has revealed the existence of a PLAYING A MEMBER OF THE ORDER

temple/ruin/crypt/fortress in (insert remote location Many things can drive characters to explore: knowledge

here).” They immediately receive whatever information for its own sake, the challenge of remote locations and

the order has on the site, such as maps, potential dangers, exotic dangers, or the thrill of the “big score” when they

historical details, and nearby hazards. That’s not to say uncover a treasure chamber full of gold. Whatever the

that the order’s information is completely accurate or reason, adventurers are driven to climb down into dark,

complete—if it were, the PCs might not need to go there dangerous places, delving into sites that haven’t been

in the first place. touched for centuries or millennia.

It’s not as exciting as a map to a lost temple, but the his- Explorers and the Order of Ancient Mysteries thus have

torical information in the order’s archives can be a useful a symbiotic relationship. The order periodically gives PCs

resource. Within the order’s facilities, members have free new places to explore, and they bring back lore and antiq-

access to a researcher with a Knowledge (history) modifier uities that further the order’s research efforts—which in

of +15 or Knowledge (any other category) +10. Given two turn lead to new places for the heroes to discover. While

weeks’ time, a more learned sage (+20 in history and +15 there’s little crossover between the order’s researchers

in other categories) can respond to written requests. and its explorers, both groups are keenly aware of how

Access: As members of the Order of Ancient Mysteries, necessary the other group’s skills and abilities are to the

PCs have access to the order’s public facilities: unassuming order’s goals.

buildings in most large cities and metropolises. The order’s Combat: The order’s explorers fight only when they

regional headquarters are often near a city’s university, have to—but when their business is invading ancient

temple to Boccob, or some other center of learning. Few ruins, tombs, and temples, they find themselves fighting

antiquities are kept long-term at the various headquarters, quite a bit.

so the order relies on armed guards and the occasional When possible, explorers employ stealth or magic

magic ward for protection. to reach an exploration site, especially if the mundane

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TEN ORDER-SPONSORED EXPEDITIONS • Burn incense on the Altar of Doom until the Portal to Pande-
• Retrieve the shards of Glazarel’s burial urn from the Tombs of monium appears, then map the caverns beyond. Don’t stay
beyond the 12 hours that the portal remains open.
the Wailing Priests.
• Copy the inscriptions from the summoning circle at the • Retrieve a mummy lord from the ziggurat of Thanak-Re—
without destroying it.
Ebony Tower, but do not disturb the demon lord trapped within
the circle. • Figure out the origin point of the magical cataclysm that
• Follow the strange comet until it lands and reveals the Temple destroyed the city of Illuria.
Beyond Time.
• Map the Shrine of the Dark Journey, which lies deep beneath • Find out what happened to the 9th-degree explorer Nerachem,
the surface and is overrun with kuo-toas. who sailed north to find a mysterious iceberg city.
• Acquire by any means the ruby chalices of Kavannu from the
blue dragon Arphenastrom. • Sack the library of the lich known only as Fell Guriak.

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213

alternative is a month-long trek through hostile jungle. If major buildings and assessing its greatest dangers. They

the site can’t be reached with magic, they must contend need bring back only information: a map, a catalog of the

with the beasts, bandits, and other dangerous creatures ruined city’s denizens, and a copy of the runes etched on

that live near the area. the city’s walls, for example. Future expeditions—perhaps

Once in the site, characters have to contend with led by the PCs, perhaps not—will tackle the various build-

myriad traps left by the location’s last occupants, plus ings within the city separately.

any guardians left behind. Often these guardians are Sometimes the order’s explorers get lost or simply never

ageless creatures, such as undead and constructs. Some- return from an expedition. Characters might be sent to a

times they have to fight their way through a site’s more site not to gather antiquities but to rescue the survivors

CHAPTER 6 recent denizens to get to items of historical significance. of a previous expedition or at least ascertain their fate.

CHARACTERS If PCs want to reach the thousand-year-old Temple of Responsibilities: The Order of Ancient Mysteries

the Twin Suns, their real opposition might be a tribe of realizes that expeditions might take months to complete,

kuo-toas that moved into the temple a decade ago and and it acknowledges that some explorers take on jobs and

now call it home. missions that don’t have anything to do with the order. As

Advancement: The order’s explorers can advance in long as the PCs perform one expedition per year and don’t

rank through a tiered system known in order parlance as catastrophically fail a mission, they remain members in

“degrees.” Characters are known as initiate explorers until good standing.

they successfully complete an expedition for the order.

After that point, they are explorers of the first degree. THE ORDER IN THE WORLD

Thereafter, characters are promoted a degree each time “Begone, interlopers! The horrors buried here have no place in

they bring back items of historical significance; each trip, your unsuspecting world!”

the order’s researchers raise the threshold of what con- Al-Yuriak the lich, to the

stitutes “significance.” For lower degrees, bringing back order expedition that opened his tomb

samples of ancient arts or clues about age-old civilizations

might be sufficient. As PCs attain greater degrees, it takes The Order of Ancient Mysteries is an organization designed

more to impress the researchers—complete religious to support episodic D&D play. Each episode is a site-based

texts, functioning magic items, or maps to previously adventure that begins with a briefing from the order,

unknown sites. proceeds to actual exploration of the site, and concludes

Degrees are awarded based on an expedition’s histori- with a return to civilization.

cal significance, not its danger. While the two factors are It’s up to you, as the DM, to determine how tightly you

often related, it’s possible to face great dangers and come want the episodes to link together. If you opt for few or no

home empty-handed, or to luck into a great historical find connections between episodes, you have a great degree of

at minimal risk. Thus the explorers of the order rarely freedom to design varied sites to explore: a lich’s tomb one

refer to their degrees when talking to each other. Degrees month, a sahuagin temple the next, and a ruined githzerai

are mostly a ranking system used by the researchers and monastery on the Plane of Limbo after that. If you con-

expedition planners. nect the episodes, you can have each site reveal historical

Some expedition planners offer particular missions only information that leads to the next site, and eventually

to explorers who have reached a certain degree—often the the characters’ experience with one site might help them

fifth degree or the tenth degree. Those expeditions often survive a later one.

target fragile sites—those the order worries it might have Structure: The Order of Ancient Mysteries is com-

only one chance to explore. A temple perched on the lip posed of three distinct groups. The research directors set

of a volcano, a ruined city that appears on the Material the order’s overall agenda, control its financial resources,

Plane for only one week each century, or an ancient tomb and prioritize its research efforts. They approve the

in the center of an active battlefield—all are examples of exploration of each new site and assign explorers to

areas that only the order’s best operatives will be asked each expedition.

to explore. The explorers accomplish much of the order’s actual

Missions: At heart, the order’s expeditions are simple: work. They explore the sites, deal with the dangers and

An expedition planner gives the characters a map and hazards there, then return historical antiquities to the

instructions. They then brave the dangers of the site and order. PCs will almost always be explorers. While explor-

return with treasure for themselves and antiquities for the ers are central to the order’s mission, they’re usually off

order’s researchers. on expeditions, so they don’t have much say in the order’s

Sometimes the order throws a wrinkle into a particular internal politics or overall decision making.

mission. For example, the PCs might be sent to scout a The researchers are the connection between the explor-

214 particularly large site, such as a ruined city, identifying its ers and the research directors. Academic sages pore over

the antiquities and lore that the explorers recover. Once DC 30: Baron Iriyach, an antiquities dealer of some

their research uncovers information about a new site, they repute, will pay handsomely for information on the order’s

pass along their data to the research directors, who decide current or future expeditions.

whether it merits a new expedition.

THE ORDER IN YOUR GAME

NPC Reactions The Order of Ancient Mysteries makes an excellent patron

Most people simply aren’t interested in history, so they for mid-level PCs, who are either hired by an order explorer

have an initial attitude of indifferent to members of the or assigned a small expedition of their own. If the initial

Order of Ancient Mysteries. The typical NPC thinks of expedition goes well, the PCs are probably asked to join

researchers and research directors as specialized sages. the organization at that point. You now have a ready-made CHAPTER 6

The order’s explorers are treated like travelers and explor- adventure starter whenever you need one—a research CHARACTERS

ers the world over. Other historians, clerics of Boccob, planner from the order shows up with a map.

and collegians at schools of wizardry regard members Because the order largely keeps to itself, it’s easy to mix

of the order more favorably, with a starting attitude adventures involving the order with adventures that don’t

of friendly. involve searching a ruin for ancient treasures. In your

That’s not to say that the order is without rivals and game, you can thrust the order into a struggle between

enemies. Two adversaries deserve special note. other powers and factions by having the PCs uncover

The half-elf Baron Iriyach runs a far-flung tomb robbing some long-buried secret with larger implications for your

and smuggling network, and he’s eager to beat the Order game world. If the order winds up with part of a power-

of Ancient Mysteries to any potential site. He attempts ful artifact or the instructions for a doomsday ritual, the

to do so in three ways: by infiltrating order branches organization will draw decidedly nonacademic interest

and stealing maps and lore, by preempting or waylaying from other powerful creatures and organizations.

explorers en route to a lucrative site, and by discovering If the PCs in your game have joined the order, they should

and breaking into the order’s antiquities vaults to steal expect to encounter tombs full of deadly traps, mouldering

the treasure within. temples housing strange magic, and ancient ruins that aren’t

Another enemy represents one of the extinct societies as deserted as they seem. Give them all the tropes of the

that the order now studies. The Hakralian Empire frag- exploration genre: cowardly or traitorous guides, hostile

mented centuries ago, but many of their tombs and temples natives, unscrupulous rivals, wondrous sights unbeheld

remain. The Hakralians were obsessed with death and the by mortal eyes, and narrow escapes from certain doom.

afterlife, and they used divination magic to discern that Encounters: Most members of the order are encoun-

the Order of Ancient Mysteries would one day plunder tered as patrons. A research planner from the order will

their gravesites and other sacred places. Accordingly, they hire the PCs to undertake an expedition to a historical site

created a cabal of agents (some undead, others in suspended and bring back some antiquities.

animation) known as the Guardians of the Coming Dawn Under the right circumstances, the order can make a

to thwart the order and protect the contents of Hakralian useful ally—or rival. If the PCs are exploring a site on their

vaults. A central Hakralian prophecy predicts the rebirth own and get trapped or captured somehow, an explorer

of the empire—an event the Guardians worry the order’s from the order might rescue them as she explores the

site-plundering might disrupt. site. The PCs might be adventuring in a dungeon and find

that an order expedition keeps beating them to the most

ORDER OF ANCIENT interesting and lucrative areas.

MYSTERIES LORE Adaptation: As presented, the order is a self-sufficient,

Characters with ranks in Knowledge (history) can research independent group. In your campaign, it might be affiliated

the Order of Ancient Mysteries to learn more about with a church, government, or other organization. The order

the organization. might be one college in a magical university, or it might

DC 10: The Order of Ancient Mysteries sends expedi- be the pet project of a history-obsessed king.

tions to sites of historical interest and has them bring Another way to adapt the order for your campaign is

back antiquities. to give it a more tangible goal than the abstract “uncover

DC 15: Among historians, the order is known for the all the lost secrets of history.” Perhaps it’s the Order of the

quality of its research and its tendency to take everything Ancient Mystery—a group devoted to solving an immense

from an ancient ruin that isn’t nailed down. magical puzzle that’s confounded sages for centuries. The

DC 20: Becoming one of the order’s explorers is a good order might want to unearth every ruin of a particular era

way to get rich, but it’s dangerous. The explorers get to or empire because it seeks something specific, or because

keep whatever treasure they find that the researchers it’s obsessed with returning the world to the splendors of

don’t want. a bygone age. 215

THE SHINING CRUSADE SHINING CRUSADE BENEFITS

“We have all grown weary of manning the barricades, waiting Because its mission is so broad—defeat the forces of evil

for the next undead army or demon horde. Instead, we’re taking anywhere they gather—the Shining Crusade often finds

the fight to the enemy.” itself spread thin. The combat forces of the crusade typically

Athurax, Crusader Captain fight major battles in a dozen places or more at any one time.

Only when the need is dire will characters be able to call

A militant arm of good-aligned churches and governments, on the full military might of the Shining Crusade.

the Shining Crusade attacks the forces of evil—especially Economics: The Shining Crusade relies on its crusaders

CHAPTER 6 fiends and undead—wherever they can be found. to equip themselves, but it does have a number of clerics

CHARACTERS willing to add the undead bane and evil outsider bane special

JOINING THE SHINING CRUSADE abilities to magic weapons for 75% of the usual cost.

Membership in the Shining Crusade is generally granted Gear: Anywhere the Shining Crusade has a fortress (usu-

as a reward to soldiers and adventurers who show heroism ally 50% of small cities, and all large cities and metropolises),

in battle against the forces of evil or thwart a fiendish or crusaders on a mission can get warhorses and nonmagical

undead plot. If the PCs vanquish evil in a manner that gets equipment from the fortress’s arsenal. As long as characters

the attention of good-aligned governments or churches, don’t obviously abuse this privilege, they needn’t return

they might receive an invitation to join the Shining the gear when they’re done with it.

Crusade. Where the crusade is popular, members enjoy a One item of gear deserves special note: the crusader’s

degree of honored social status, not unlike that accorded tabard. Because crusaders come from dozens of religions

to a decorated war veteran. and scores of races and nations, the Shining Crusade has

While many members of the Shining Crusades are adopted a simple tabard as its insignia, rather than a holy

paladins, the stereotypical “knights in shining armor,” symbol or heraldic design on a shield. On their tabard or

the organization knows the value of fighting evil from robe, crusaders wear an emblem in the form of a radiating

the shadows as well. Thus, the Shining Crusade counts sun pattern.

members of every class and race within its ranks. Traditionally, the sun emblem is gold on a blue tabard,

Entry Requirements: Nonevil alignment, base attack but individual crusaders often adopt different colors. Some

bonus +2, must have publicly thwarted a major plot from choose national or religious colors to emphasize their

undead, demons, or devils. heritage or dual affiliation. Others do so for practicality’s

Overall, a third of the Shining Crusade consists of sake; stealthy rogues in service of the Shining Crusade

paladins, and another third are neutral good and chaotic wear a black sun on a midnight-blue tabard.

good clerics, fighters, and rangers. The remaining third Services: A typical Shining Crusade fortress has a

are members of other classes—former mercenaries, ne’er- 9th-level cleric on hand to cast spells on its members’

do-wells, and adventurers who have taken up the banner behalf, asking only for the relevant material components

of the Shining Crusade. in exchange for the spellcasting. Spells that crusaders

Initial training for new Shining Crusade members is often ask for (and the cleric often has prepared) include

minimal. New crusaders learn about the organization’s break enchantment, restoration, remove blindness/deafness,

history, the tenets of the crusaders’ code, and various remove curse, remove disease, and lesser restoration. If PCs

passwords and means of communicating with the crusade’s want divination, atonement, or raise dead, they will have to

leadership. In the likely event that a group qualifies to join wait a day for the cleric to prepare them.

the Shining Crusade together, the organization encour- Once characters reach the upper echelons of the Shining

ages that group to continue operating as a team. Training Crusade (around 10th level, if they’ve spent most of their

usually ends when characters stride forth on their first time successfully completing missions for the crusade),

mission as shining crusaders. they receive a greater benefit: a headquarters for their group

to call its own.

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THE CRUSADERS’ CODE • Other evildoers will face justice in the afterlife. Do not hasten their
Members of the Shining Crusade are expected to adhere to journey there unless they use lethal force against you first.
the following code. It’s intentionally less restrictive than the
paladin’s code; paladins who are shining crusaders are expected • When innocents are at peril, rescue them before slaying undead
to obey the stricter rules. and fiends, unless a delay or distraction would put even more
• Suffer not the undead to live, nor fiends of any sort. Do not innocents at peril.

negotiate with them under any circumstance. • Hack at the root of evil, not its branches. Better yet, crush the
seed and sow the earth with salt.

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216

A 15th-level cleric armed with multiple move earth, wall Combat: Most crusaders know their foes quite well, CHAPTER 6
of stone, stone shape, and similar spells builds the charac- and they’re armed for the task. The Shining Crusade’s
ters a base of operations, assisted by a team of low-level clerics are adept at turning undead, and arcane spellcasters CHARACTERS
stonemasons, carpenters, and other craftspeople. The have spells such as dismissal and banishment ready for evil
PCs choose the site and consult with the cleric ahead outsiders they find on the Material Plane. Nonspellcasters 217
of time to make sure the finished product meets their often carry holy or bane weapons. Rogues in particular
needs. Construction typically takes a month, although are fond of magic weapons with the undead bane special
any special requests the PCs make might lengthen this ability, because it helps make up for the fact that they can’t
time. The crusade’s cleric won’t construct an entire keep sneak attack undead foes.
on their behalf, but a sturdy tower is certainly within
bounds, as are a series of linked dungeon rooms. The PC Crusaders in combat are also mindful of the crusaders’
group can augment the cleric’s efforts with their own code (see the sidebar), which bids them show no mercy
spellcasting, if they like. to evil outsiders and undead, but forbids them from
using lethal force on other enemies—no matter how
When the crusade’s cleric is done building the new evil—unless those enemies use lethal force first. Early
headquarters, a 17th-level wizard arrives briefly to create a in a fight, members of the Shining Crusade focus their
permanent set of teleportation circles linking the headquar- efforts on undead and evil outsiders until the cultists,
ters to the nearest Shining Crusade fortress. mad necromancers, and other evildoers nearby make their
intentions clear.
Information: While individual members of the Shin-
ing Crusade are quite knowledgeable, the organization When any member uncovers regional or global threats,
doesn’t keep its own libraries or other information stores. such as an undead army on the march or a massive open
The crusade is always at war, so even its internal record- portal to the Abyss, the Shining Crusade goes to war
keeping is spotty. with all the might of a small nation. When it gathers all
its resources together, the Shining Crusade can call on
Access: Characters can always find clean but spartan thousands of troops, many of whom are mid- to high-level
accommodations at a Shining Crusade fortress, and wear- paladins and other battle-ready characters. Such great
ing the tabard of the Shining Crusade is often sufficient to crusades typically happen only once every five years or
grant them an audience with the ranking clerics at temples so, but the Shining Crusade responds whenever the need
of good-aligned deities, such as St. Cuthbert, Heironeous, is great.
and Pelor.
Advancement: The Shining Crusade has no formal
Status: Crusaders in good standing gain a +2 circum- system of ranks, relying instead on an almost feudal system
stance bonus on interactions with mid- to high-level clerics of patronage. When characters first join the Shining
in good-aligned churches and with the political leaders of Crusade, their efforts will be guided by a mid- to high-
nations beset by undead or fiendish attacks. level crusader, who in turn reports to a more powerful
superior, and so on. As they attain more levels, slay more
PLAYING A SHINING CRUSADER evildoers, and do the good work of the Shining Crusade,
they are “handed off” to higher and higher echelons of
Members of the Shining Crusade tend to be aggressive— the crusade’s leadership and given missions of greater
the whole point of the crusade is to attack evil before it importance. Eventually PCs might take a leadership posi-
takes root and spreads. That doesn’t mean they heedlessly tion within the crusade, directing its efforts to stamp out
charge into battle with every demon they see. If an undead evil everywhere.
or fiendish foe is simply too strong for a group to handle,
there’s no shame in retreating, warning nearby noncom- Missions: Shining Crusade missions are archetypal
batants, and asking the crusade leadership for aid. D&D fare: destroy the lich wizard, unmask the secret cult-
ists, and destroy the gate to the Nine Hells, for example.
While the Shining Crusade leadership isn’t always As long as a villain employs demons, devils, or undead to
able to respond to every fiendish incursion or undead work evil in the world, characters are likely to be sent into
machination, it makes every effort to send the right force battle on behalf of the Shining Crusade.
against the right enemy. It generally lacks the resources
to send overwhelming force against a foe, but it won’t The Shining Crusade particularly favors missions where
order PCs to defeat a flight of rampaging balors unless it has the strategic initiative. Its members would much
they have demonstrated that they’re up to the task. rather attack the lich-king’s stronghold than defend the
Communication between a PC group and the crusade city gates against a horde of flesh-starved ghouls. The cru-
leadership is thus a two-way street: The characters tell the saders won’t pass up the opportunity to defend innocents
crusade about threats as they uncover them, especially if against evil depredations, of course, but they emphasize
they’re too great for the PCs to handle themselves, and taking the attack to the enemy. High-level crusaders, for
the crusade points them toward new sources of evil that example, travel to the Abyss and the Nine Hells to attack
must be expunged.

fiendish fortresses and slay archfiends. Their low-level of Corellon Larethian), and Athrau Stonegallow (one of

counterparts watch for signs of malevolent influence Moradin’s dwarven defenders) defeated a lich-king that

on the Material Plane, then stamp it out preemptively had usurped the throne of a mighty kingdom and nearly

if they can. conquered an entire continent. The trio, chastened by

Responsibilities: The Shining Crusade expects its mem- their failure to defeat the lich before its power grew, vowed

bers to live as crusaders, battling evil whenever possible. The never again to let evil lurk in the darkness and grow in

crusade leadership recognizes that the tides of evil ebb and strength. Calling themselves the Shining Crusade, they

flow. The organization is also too busy watching evildoers urged like-minded heroes to carry their banner and

to keep close track of every group of crusaders. began training a new generation of crusaders. Aryesha

CHAPTER 6 As long PCs adhere to the crusader’s code and are gener- and Athrau have passed on to the afterlife, but Rurithane

CHARACTERS ally available for crusade missions, they remain members remains an influential member of the Shining Crusade.

in good standing. Unless a global threat arises, they can Rurithane rarely contacts the other high-level members

take as much time off as they need to construct magic of the Shining Crusade’s leadership, but his counsel is

items and perform side missions that involve other evil accorded great weight when he does.

foes. If characters have a string of successes under their With Rurithane often absent and Aryesha and Athrau

belt, the Shining Crusade will look the other way at side gone, national governments and organized good-aligned

missions that don’t involve evildoers or are primarily religions have the strongest influence on the Shining

efforts at self-enrichment. Crusade’s leaders, because those churches and govern-

ments fund the crusade from their own treasuries. The

THE SHINING CRUSADE Shining Crusade relies on enough different funding

IN THE WORLD sources that no one government or church can convince

“The entrance guards are missing? Ropes leading up the tower the crusade’s leaders to change the direction of its mission.

walls? Sound the alarm and make ready my armor—the Shining Highly lawful and highly chaotic churches sometimes

Crusade has found us.” withdraw their support of the Shining Crusade, but they

Choronak, hamatula general usually come back into the fold once the crusade deals a

particularly telling blow to the forces of evil.

The Shining Crusade is designed as an adventure enabler.

It offers missions to the PCs to get matters started and NPC Reactions

provides noncombatant assistance such as spellcasting Anywhere the Shining Crusade goes, it carries the thanks

that enables hurt or killed PCs to return to the fray. If of the countless innocent lives the organization has saved

the PCs are captured or trapped, their fellow crusaders by striking at the roots of evil. Because the Shining

can be the figurative (or even literal) cavalry that rides to Crusade specializes in preemptive strikes and battles on

their rescue. enemy ground, those innocent lives often don’t know

Structure: The Shining Crusade is a sprawling orga- how threatened they were, and they don’t see the Shining

nization that relies on the competence and good graces Crusade’s work firsthand.

of its individual members; it has only as much internal Accordingly, most NPCs have an initial attitude of

structure as it needs to get its mission done. No single indifferent toward the Shining Crusade. The officials of

leader or council sets the crusade’s direction—just a hand- good-aligned churches have a starting attitude of friendly

ful of powerful characters trying to preempt the forces of toward crusaders, and undead and outsiders have a starting

darkness as best they can. The simplicity of the crusade’s attitude of hostile toward anyone wearing the Shining

mandate—attack evil outsiders and undead—is the only Crusade’s tabard if they know that the tabard signifies an

reason that different wings of the crusade don’t get in imminent fight to the death.

each other’s way. Outright rivalries among the leadership The Shining Crusade’s enemies are many: all demons,

are rare, but frequently one part of the Shining Crusade devils, and undead, plus most other evil organizations,

doesn’t know what the others are doing. evil gods, and their worshipers. Two enemies deserve

Crusaders tend to operate in small, mixed groups not particular notice.

unlike adventuring parties. At first, they plan missions The crusade often finds itself in conflict with followers

from within the crusade’s fortresses near major cities. of Wee Jas. Wee Jas isn’t evil, and many of her followers are

Eventually, elite crusaders receive private headquarters of likewise neutral or even good. But the Witch Goddess’s

their own. In either case, most members are out crusading followers often consort with the undead and so draw the

against evil at any given time, not acting as a garrison for Shining Crusade’s ire. Some within the Shining Crusade

the fortress. would like to attack the church of Wee Jas directly, but

The Shining Crusade began centuries ago when Arye- to do so would violate the crusaders’ code. Particularly

218 sha (a human cleric of Pelor), Rurithane (an elf paladin committed crusaders chafe at the restriction, wishing

they could strike at Wee Jas’s temples before they train the When you have a table full of crusaders ready for action,

next generation of necromancers. make sure your adventures have a degree of variety. Because

A group of cultists and devils affiliated with the arch- the crusade focuses on fiendish and undead opponents,

devil Dispater are trying to defeat the Shining Crusade you run the risk of falling into a rut and offering the same

with subterfuge and trickery, not fell might. They have opponents in adventure after adventure. Make sure that

attempted numerous times to place long-term agents you use templates, class levels, and the full panoply of fiends

among the membership of the Shining Crusade. While and undead to ensure that the PCs don’t become bored with

the crusade’s leadership has caught devilish spies and the opposition—or take their evil enemies for granted.

traitors, they wonder whether other “moles” remain within Encounters: When most PCs encounter the Shining

the crusade. Dispater’s followers also trap strongholds, Crusade, it’ll be as allies. (If the PCs are affiliated with CHAPTER 6

designing them to catch crusaders eager to preempt an demons, devils, or undead, the Shining Crusade make CHARACTERS

evildoer’s plot. Crusaders are lured to these sites using false tenacious opponents, however.) When the PCs first meet

hints of evil plots in the hopes of turning the strongholds members of the Shining Crusade, emphasize the crusad-

into Dispater’s killing grounds. ers’ zeal for attacking evil and their sense of fair play with

mortals. If the PCs spend any time with the crusaders,

SHINING CRUSADE LORE they also get a sense of the Shining Crusade’s doctrine of

Characters with ranks in Knowledge (religion) or Knowl- preemption and what it takes to join the crusade.

edge (the planes) can research the Shining Crusade to learn Adaptation: The Shining Crusade intentionally encom-

more about the organization. passes all good-aligned races and religions, so it’s appropriate

DC 10: The Shining Crusade is a militant order, mostly for the widest variety of D&D groups. You have only one

composed of paladins, devoted to wiping out evil. D&D group in your campaign, though, so you can narrow

DC 15: The crusade focuses on defeating demons, devils, the focus if you like. Perhaps only humans and elves join

and undead. the Shining Crusade, or maybe the crusade is the militant

DC 20: Whenever possible, the Shining Crusade attacks arm of the church of Pelor. As long as the crusade doesn’t

fiends and undead in their own lairs, before their evil keep out good-aligned players that want in, you can ground

plots have come to fruition. The doctrine of preemp- it in a specific faith or nation.

tion is what separates this group from countless other Another way to adapt the Shining Crusade is to change its

knightly orders. mandate. You can narrow it (a Shining Crusade that battles

DC 30: Recently the Shining Crusade has fallen victim only demon hordes), refocus it (a Shining Crusade devoted

to several traps laid by the archdevil Dispater. to ridding the underdark of mind flayers and drow), or

even obscure it (a Shining Crusade for whom the antifiend,

THE SHINING CRUSADE antiundead crusade is just a means to a specific end).

IN YOUR GAME

The Shining Crusade works best when you introduce RED KNIVES
it into your game gradually. Low-level characters might THIEVES’ GANG
meet a duke wearing a tabard from his days with the

Shining Crusade. They might ride past one of the crusade’s “Obey the gang, and you’ll see gold. Cross the gang, and you’ll

fortresses on their way elsewhere. Such brief mentions see red.”

plant the seeds for a more robust introduction later on in Street aphorism common among

your campaign. Red Knives guild members

In most ongoing games, PCs achieve a victory of at least

regional importance by 5th level or so. Maybe they rescue The gang of thieves known as the Red Knives can make

the town from a gnoll attack or clean out the haunted anyone disappear—voluntarily or involuntarily. It can

caverns that threaten nearby caravan routes. At that point, spring a prisoner from the baron’s dungeon. It can tell

they attract the attention of a high-level Shining Crusade bandits when the silk caravan is due to arrive. It can do all

member, who gives them a mission against fiends or these things and more—for loyal members of the gang.

undead, with membership in the crusade as the reward

for success. JOINING THE RED KNIVES

As your players approach the point where the Crusade THIEVES’ GANG

will build them a headquarters, encourage them to take an Not every rogue is a thief, and not every thief is a rogue.

active hand in its design. Don’t give them an entire castle, Regardless of a character’s class, the Red Knives look for

but give them a cool lair where they can retreat in safety earners—criminals to help fill the gang’s coffers. The guild

and spend their downtime, and that they can customize leaders let nearly anyone join the gang as long as they see

as they see fit. earning potential in the applicant’s illicit activities. 219

The gang is always on the watch for potential traitors RED KNIVES BENEFITS

and stool pigeons. Each new member must go through an The Red Knives Thieves’ Gang does more for its elite

initiation that includes illegal activity (often an assault, members than for the rank and file. In some ways, the

robbery, or major burglary). The gang bosses keep evi- gang is a racket, with experienced thieves stealing from

dence of the applicants’ guilt, which they use as leverage the proceeds of less powerful counterparts.

and insurance against future disloyalty. Economics: Its fencing operation is one of the big-

Entry Requirements: Must pass questioning under gest sources of income for the Red Knives. All the city’s

zone of truth; must successfully complete initiation crime. burglars sell their stolen goods to the gang, which then

More than two-thirds of the Red Knives have at least works them back into circulation through a network of

CHAPTER 6 one level of rogue, but every class (except paladin, obvi- shady but technically legal businesses.

CHARACTERS ously) has a place in the gang. Bards use entertainment Because the gang has a virtual monopoly on trade in

as a cover for more illicit activities, and sorcerers and stolen items, it can afford to take a smaller percentage

wizards use arcane magic as a cover for theirs. Barbar- cut from its members and make up the difference in

ians, fighters, and rangers serve as muscle for protection volume. When characters sell stolen goods to the Red

rackets. Clerics heal wounded bandits and magically Knives, they get 60% of its market price, rather than the

enhance the abilities of fellow gang members. usual 50%.

Druids and monks are rare in the gang. Druids might When characters steal gold or other items that don’t

use networks of rats, crows, or other urban animals to need to be fenced, however, it’s a different story. Street

spy for the gang. A sense of personal honor could lead a muggers, for example, are expected to give 20% of their

monk to act as bodyguard or trainer for a gang boss. nightly take to the gang. Because they’re criminals, most

After joining the gang, PCs meet at least two superiors: muggers cheat the Red Knives a little, but any mugger

the master of whatever illicit activity they specialize in who isn’t turning over at least 10% draws the attention

(Master of Burglars, Master of Robbers, and so on) and of gang enforcers.

the boss responsible for coordinating gang activity in a Services: Gang resources include experts in forgery,

particular neighborhood. They then receive approval for appraisal, magic item identification, alchemy, disguise,

their first caper, which is done under gang surveillance locksmithing, trapmaking (or trap disabling), and inter-

to make sure nothing goes awry. rogation. With a word to the local gang boss, PCs can get

Some would-be thieves seek out the Red Knives, but access to an expert with a relevant skill modifier of +15

others make their acquaintance under less polite cir- within hours. Experts with modifiers of +20 or higher

cumstances. Cutpurses, burglars, and other petty thieves are also available, but it might take days for the request to

experience their first contact with the gang early in their work its way through the entire Red Knives network.

career—when they meet a gang enforcer in an alley. The Characters are expected to pay for these services, negoti-

enforcer explains to them the benefits of membership ating with the expert involved. The gang merely provides

and threatens the consequences of spurning the gang. If easy access to specialists who might otherwise be hard

the criminals don’t join right away, they wind up under to find.

gang surveillance. Then they are visited repeatedly by Information: Checking with the neighborhood boss

gang enforcers, who escalate the threats and violence is functionally the equivalent of having the boss make a

each time until they succeed at the recruiting efforts, Gather Information check on the PCs’ behalf. A typical

kill the stubborn thieves, or drive them out of town. neighborhood boss has a Gather Information modifier

of +10. Asking a question of the neighborhood boss isn’t

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RULES OF THE RED KNIVES • Give the gang its cut by dawn, or else.
Each neighborhood boss and grandmaster is responsible for • Don’t kill city guards or soldiers of the garrison. Hurting them
discipline among gang members. A set of unwritten rules exists
to keep the gang running smoothly. Bosses often change or add real bad is acceptable, though.
to the rules according to the situation on the streets or for darker • If you see a freelancer, tell the neighborhood boss right
reasons of their own.
• Never rat out another Red Knife. away.
• Don’t pull a job at any of the trade guild chapterhouses. They • Nobody sees you go into the storm sewers, and nobody sees

pay a lot of protection money. Anything outside the guildhall you come out.
walls is fair game. • If you don’t check with the neighborhood boss and the grand-
• Many of the temples are off limits too, depending on whether
they pay the guild off. Check with the Temple District boss for master before you do a job, you forfeit the entire haul—and
the current lowdown. maybe a finger, if you screwed up somebody else’s job.
• If two Red Knives eye the same loot, it’s first come, first
grabbed.

pqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqrs

220

necessarily any faster than the PCs making their own The leadership’s network of informants can provide them

queries, because the neighborhood boss will often say, with particularly lucrative targets and give them logisti-

“I’ll ask around” and have an answer in 1d4+1 hours. cal help such as identifying which watchmen are on the

Access: Low-level gang members learn a series of take and what sorts of magic traps guard whatever they

passwords to identify other gang members working in want to steal.

the same neighborhood, and they receive a skeleton key In any case, members are expected to run their

that opens most city storm sewer grates (a common way illicit operations past the relevant neighborhood boss

for gang members to get around). and grandmaster beforehand, although trusted gang

High-level members who have been with the gang for at members can obtain permission for minor jobs on an

least a year also learn the passwords and secret doors that ongoing basis. CHAPTER 6

lead to the gang’s central headquarters in the catacombs Responsibilities: Staying in the gang’s good graces is CHARACTERS

under the city’s temple district. mostly a matter of reputation. As long as characters aren’t

caught by the authorities and keep earning money, they

PLAYING A RED KNIVES MEMBER retain the benefits of gang membership. Their specific

Most members of the Red Knives are in the gang for the responsibilities are few.

money, and the PCs might be no exception. Perhaps they Accordingly, gang membership doesn’t interfere with a

regard gang membership as a way to strike back at the career as an adventurer in most cases. Members shouldn’t

city’s tyrannical rulers. Perhaps they have a Robin Hood openly consort with city authorities, nor should they

mentality, stealing from the city’s wealthy to support the disappear for months at a time; both would make the gang

impoverished. leadership suspicious.

Regardless of the reasons for joining the Red Knives, it

takes continual work to make sure the relationship with THE RED KNIVES IN THE WORLD

fellow gang members is solid. Thieves are a distrustful lot, “The only thing worse than the Red Knives is the alternative—

and periodic demonstrations of loyalty and competence criminals running wild across the city. The Red Knives at least

are the only ways to ease that distrust. On the other hand, show a little restraint.”

characters have to decide which of their fellow thieves are Thora Ninegal, city councilor

worthy of their trust, and that isn’t any easier.

Combat: The Red Knives are primarily thieves, not Membership in the Red Knives immerses the PCs in the

assassins. They know firsthand that a bloody trail of bodies underworld and gives them access to all that entails. They

is an easy path for the city guard to follow. When possible, can buy and sell on the black market, plan their own capers,

they strike quickly to put their opponents off balance, then and live in a world that combines D&D with countless

flee into the shadows with their ill-gotten gains. stories about organized crime syndicates.

The Red Knives reserve their most cold-hearted violence Structure: The day-to-day leadership of the Red Knives

for when they want to send a message. The gang’s protec- functions on two tracks. Each neighborhood in the city has

tion rackets can be heartlessly violent when they’re trying a neighborhood boss responsible for all organized crime in

to persuade reluctant victims. Freelance thieves who that neighborhood. A neighborhood boss coordinates the

repeatedly refuse to join the Red Knives or surrender the Red Knives’ efforts to keep the authorities off balance or

gang’s percentage find themselves on the receiving end of on the payroll, receiving information from a vast network

violence that borders on the sadistic. of informants from all walks of life.

Advancement: Among the rank and file, the Red The gang also has several dozen grandmasters, each

Knives Thieves’ Gang is a meritocracy. If a PC group pulls in charge of a particular kind of crime. The Red Knives

off successful heists and gets a reputation as an earner, the have a grandmaster of burglary, for example, and a grand-

characters receive better leads on potential targets and master of protection rackets. The grandmasters train

better treatment from their superiors. less experienced members in the finer points of their

Advancing through the gang’s leadership is harder. The craft, and they coordinate those efforts on a citywide

neighborhood bosses and grandmasters are entrenched in basis. The Grandmaster of Protection makes sure that

their positions, and the only way to rise up through the her thugs in one neighborhood aren’t charging a vastly

gang is to knock someone else down. Rivalries among different rate for Red Knives protection than elsewhere

the leadership can be intense, although the gang’s Grand- in the city.

master of Thieves quashes destructive vendettas within Both the neighborhood bosses and grandmasters have a

the organization. high degree of autonomy, and they’re free to appoint and

Missions: As gang members, characters are free to remove whatever subordinates and assistants they like.

plan their own heists, but they can also consult with the All the bosses and grandmasters report to one man: Vos-

neighborhood boss and grandmaster for potential targets. koff, the city’s Grandmaster of Thieves. Voskoff controls 221

CHAPTER 6 the overall efforts of the Red Knives, handles the orga-
nization’s treasury, and pulls the political strings that
CHARACTERS make sure the gang remains safely in the shadows.

Illus. by R. Spencer Voskoff knows he’s only one betrayal away from
permanent retirement, so he plays the more powerful
222 A training room operated by the Red Knives Thieves’ Gang neighborhood bosses and grandmasters against one
another, encouraging competitive rivalries and ensur-
ing that no one amasses enough power to become a
rival to him. He steps in when the rivalries become
bloody vendettas or otherwise threaten to expose the
gang’s lucrative but shadowy activities.

NPC Reactions
Most denizens of the city hate and fear members of the
Red Knives Thieves’ Gang. They have an initial attitude
of unfriendly toward known members—which is why
few thieves let their affiliation be known to anyone
other than fellow members.

The Red Knives’ ruthless reputation does have a side
benefit: a +2 circumstance bonus on Intimidate checks
when members interrogate a helpless captive.

Members of the city’s underworld view the Red
Knives more positively, because they benefit from
the gang’s smuggling operation, black markets, and
information network. They have an initial attitude of
friendly toward those who reveal themselves as Red
Knives members.

RED KNIVES LORE

Characters with Gather Information or ranks in Knowl-
edge (local) can research the Red Knives Thieves’ Gang
to learn more about them.

DC 10: The Red Knives run all organized crime
in the city, from burglary to muggings to protection
rackets.

DC 15: The gang also runs a thriving black market
and smuggling operation. It has a near-monopoly on
the trade in stolen goods.

DC 20: A mysterious man named Voskoff runs the
Red Knives. Their main hideout is somewhere under
the city, accessed through the storm sewer system.

If the PCs are looking for illicit goods, a DC 15 Gather
Information check is sufficient to put them in contact
with the Red Knives for a bargaining session.

THE RED KNIVES IN YOUR GAME

The Red Knives are designed to work in any large city
or metropolis. They’re a syndicate like the American
mafia, so they operate a little more openly due to corrupt
allies in high places.

Keeping PCs happy in the thieves’ gang is a matter of
making sure that the benefits of membership outweigh
the costs—both the concrete costs of doing business
with the gang and the more abstract costs of having to

deal with gang rivalries. The Red Knives aren’t supposed use the rules for guilds only for “minor” guilds, usually CHAPTER 6
to be a unified, cooperative organization. Dealing with ones that play roles as NPC organizations. For player
ambitious, untrustworthy criminals as ostensible allies is characters, it’s best to use custom-built organizations CHARACTERS
supposed to be a tricky challenge for PCs who like political such as the Red Knives.
machinations and double-crosses. 223
Arcane Guilds
Encounters:What makes a Red Knives encounter memo- An arcane guild is a group of spellcasters—usually wiz-
rable is often the dialogue that precedes the fight—dialogue ards. Such a guild typically provides shared libraries and
that continues as the fight progresses. Red Knives mem- an atmosphere that nurtures the creativity of its members.
bers live in a world of intrigue, intimidation, and ruthless Assistance with the creation of new spells and magic items
reputation, but they use violence only as a means to an might also be offered.
end. They first try to get their way by brandishing their Examples: Mages’ guilds, alchemists’ guilds.
blades and threatening violence. If you have ever wanted Associated Classes: Adept, artificer (EBERRON Campaign
to impersonate the mafia dons of movies and television, Setting), hexblade (Complete Warrior), sorcerer, wizard.
the Red Knives are your chance. Associated Skills: Concentration, Craft (alchemy),
Decipher Script, Knowledge (arcana), Spellcraft, Use
Adaptation: As written, the Red Knives are a syndicate Magic Device.
focused on burglary and robbery, but in your campaign Sample Contact: Agosti of the Shadow Shore (see Table
they might have a different focus. In a more law-and- 5–1: Sample Contacts, page 154).
order city, they might primarily be a league of smugglers
bringing contraband inside the city walls. They might Criminal Guilds
or might not have a group of assassins in their employ. Criminal guilds serve one primary purpose: to protect
In a city full of political intrigue, they might be spies their own. A guild of this type offers its members a place
for hire, digging up the secrets of one power group on to hide and train, compare notes, and learn about oppor-
behalf of another. tunities for profit. Members can also use their association
with the guild as leverage when interacting with others
Another factor to consider is the leadership. The Red who know its power.
Knives might be a stab-your-way-to-the-top organization, or Examples: Thieves’ guild.
the leadership might be hereditary (like in a mafia family). Associated Classes: Bard, rogue, scout (Complete
More sinister leadership possibilities exist as well: thieves’ Adventurer).
gangs run by mind flayers, vampires, or lycanthropes, Associated Skills: Disable Device, Forgery, Hide, Move
for example. Silently, Open Lock, Sleight of Hand.
Sample Contact: Deogol Knifethrower (see Table 5–1:
GUILDS Sample Contacts, page 154).

Of course, not all organizations are about exploring lost Government Guilds
ruins, defeating brooding strongholds of evil, or robbing A government guild consists of public servants, politicians,
a city blind. Most organizations are much more narrowly soldiers, and others dedicated to the betterment of society.
focused than this. These organizations have as many Such organizations are among the few that finance their
different names as there are occupations in the world, operations through taxes and tariffs rather than through
and even those based on identical trades can have wildly the sale of goods and services.
different compositions and agendas. As a whole, these Examples: City guards, embassy.
narrowly focused organizations are known as guilds. A Associated Classes: Cleric, expert, fighter.
guild’s purpose and benefits are more likely to appeal to Associated Skills: Bluff, Diplomacy, Gather Infor-
a single character than to the entire party. mation, Intimidate, Knowledge (nobility and royalty),
Sense Motive.
GUILD TYPES Sample Contact: Farhaan Nicabar (see Table 5–1:
Sample Contacts, page 154).
Each guild type has associated skills useful to members,
skills its members are expected to master. These skills, Mercantile Guilds
along with sample contacts for each type of guild, are A guild of this type provides a place in which its members
given in the following descriptions. As the DM, you can meet and talk with fellow shop-owners and merchants
can modify this information to suit a particular guild. who deal in similar products and services. In addition,
For example, if your campaign world features a criminal mercantile guilds offer their members protection from
guild of pirates, you might want to swap Swim for Open
Lock in its Associated Skills list. Finally, remember that
while these guilds can cover rules for organizations such
as thieves’ guilds, mages’ guilds, and the like, you should

CHAPTER 6 fraud, theft, and other dangers of doing business. A few of performer guild encourages members with similar
the wealthier mercantile organizations even provide loans talents to practice together, and to trade songs, poems,
CHARACTERS for members who wish to start new businesses. Merchants plays, or performance tips.
who make their living with the Craft skill often form
guilds of this type. Examples: Minstrel society, playwright organization,
theater or theatrical company.
Examples: Carpenters’ guild, smiths’ guild.
Associated Classes: Expert, rogue. Associated Classes: Bard, rogue.
Associated Skills: Appraise, Bluff, Craft (any one), Associated Skills: Balance or Tumble, Disguise,
Knowledge (local), Profession (any one), Speak Language. Diplomacy, Escape Artist, Perform, Profession (any one),
Sample Contact: Vasilii the Fat (see Table 5–1: Sample Sleight of Hand.
Contacts, page 154). Sample Contact: Nisha of the Many Eyes (see Table
5–1: Sample Contacts, page 154).

Mercenary Guilds Psionic Guilds

These guilds provide their members with safe places to rest A psionic guild is a group of psionic NPCs—primarily

in dangerous regions, centralized postings of job opportu- psions, although other psionic characters are normally

nities, and the benefit of the guild’s reputation. Mercenary welcome as well. This kind of guild is dedicated to enhanc-

guilds also offer healing for wounded members and safe ing the mental might of its members by pooling resources,

havens for those who need to hide from enemies. offering shared mentalities, and assisting with the creation

Examples: Barbarian clan, mercenary group. of new psionic powers and artifacts of cognizance.

Associated Classes: Barbarian, fighter, monk, soulknife Examples: College of psychics, soothsayers’ guild.

(Expanded Psionics Handbook), warrior. Associated Classes: Psion, wilder (both from Expanded

Associated Skills: Climb, Handle Animal, Intimidate, Psionics Handbook).

Jump, Ride, Use Rope. Associated Skills: Autohypnosis, Concentration,

Sample Contact: Jal Omari (see Table 5–1: Sample Knowledge (psionics), Psicraft, Use Psionic Device.

Contacts, page 154). Sample Contact: Ialdabode (see Table 5–1: Sample

Contacts, page 154).

Naturalist Guilds

A naturalist guild can be a group of people who prefer Religious Guilds

the simple life, an organization of bounty hunters who A religious guild typically claims the faithful of a specific

specialize in tracking targets through the woodlands, a religion as its members. However, this category can also

cult of nature worshipers, or just about any other group encompass organizations that span multiple faiths, as well

whose members live and work in the natural areas of as secret orders that operate without the knowledge of the

the world. Such a guild provides its members with a bulk of the faithful.

support structure and offers them services not available Examples: Church of St. Cuthbert, nature cult.

in the wild. Associated Classes: Cleric, favored soul (Complete

Examples: Explorer society, hunters’ lodge members. Divine), paladin.

Associated Classes: Barbarian, druid, ranger. Associated Skills: Concentration, Diplomacy, Heal,

Associated Skills: Handle Animal, Listen, Knowledge Knowledge (religion), Knowledge (any one other),

(nature), Search, Spot, Survival. Spellcraft.

Sample Contact: Wildcat Rodorsson (see Table 5–1: Sample Contact: Cynric the Pure (see Table 5–1: Sample

Sample Contacts, page 154). Contacts, page 154).

Performer Guilds Scholastic Guilds

Those who make a living with the Perform skill band Scholastic guilds are dedicated to furthering the education

together into guilds to promote the services they provide. of their members, and sometimes of whole communities.

Affiliation with such a guild also allows members to These organizations provide places of learning, libraries,

provide more spectacular shows than they could singly by study chambers, and an intellectual atmosphere to facili-

combining the talents of several members. Typically, the tate the acquisition of knowledge.

membership includes performers who complement one Examples: Secret societies, universities.

another’s specialties—dancers and singers with musicians, Associated Classes: Expert, wizard.

for example. If a performer guild maintains a guildhouse, Associated Skills: Decipher Script, Gather Informa-

its members can often draw patrons there in groups to tion, Knowledge (any four).

watch performances, rather than seeking out individual Sample Contact: Orkatz of the Green City (see Table

224 inns or taverns at which to ply their trade. Finally, a 5–1: Sample Contacts, page 154).

JOINING A GUILD • Membership in a guild means a better likelihood of a CHAPTER 6
positive response to requests. The initial attitude of a
Most guilds are strictly NPC organizations. For most PCs, fellow guild member is always one step closer to helpful CHARACTERS
the prospect of joining the Benevolent Order of Bakers is than her normal starting attitude (see Player’s Handbook
simply not exciting enough to become a major feature of page 72).
their character’s development. At the same time, guilds
demand much less from their members than the more • Guild members help their own. A character gains a +2
aggressive and dangerous organizations presented earlier in circumstance bonus on Diplomacy or Gather Information
this chapter. If a PC simply wants a place to invest some of checks made while talking to a fellow guild member.
his earnings, practice some of his skills, or earn a little cash
on the side, joining a guild is probably his best choice. • The guild subsidizes the cost of goods, supplies, and
guild-related services, reducing the price to a member
Entry Requirements: At least one level in a guild by 10%.
associated class, 4 ranks in a guild associated skill , entry
dues (25 gp). • Any member who falls on desperate times can call upon
her guild for aid. To make such a request, she must make
Unlike other organizations, guilds only rarely actively a Diplomacy check with a cumulative –2 penalty for each
recruit members. Once a character has become a master previous call for aid she has made to that guild.
of a specific trade, he’s more likely to found his own guild; If aid is given, it most often comes in the form of a
established guilds generally don’t have much interest in monetary loan for a term of one month (see Table 6–12:
recruiting new upstarts who have already mastered their Guild Loans for amounts and Diplomacy DCs). If the
chosen craft. member fails to repay the money on time, she is typi-
cally expelled from the guild, and the loan is absolved.
As a result, a PC typically has to track down the guild- Certain guilds (especially criminal guilds) have stricter
house or its members and apply for membership. A Gather penalties for those who default on guild loans. Such
Information check can provide specific information about guilds might even hire assassins to make examples of
a known guild, such as the location of its guildhouse. those who fail to repay.
Finding the meeting place of a relatively well-known,
open guild (such as a local baker’s guild) is a fairly simple Table 6–12: Guild Loans Diplomacy DC
task (DC 10). Locating the guildhouse of the secret society 15
that pulls the strings of the city government, on the other Desired Loan Amount 20
hand, might be quite difficult, requiring characters to Up to the member’s monthly dues 25
gather clues through adventuring before even attempting Up to the member’s monthly dues × 10
the DC 30 Gather Information check. Up to the member’s monthly dues × 100

A guild obtains the lion’s share of its income from the • Every member gains a contact specific to her guild (see
dues paid by its lay members, plus aid and residuals from Table 5–1: Contacts, page 154, for sample contacts).
its active members. When a character first joins a guild, It’s possible for a character to lose her guild member-
he must pay a one-time entrance fee. As a general rule, a ship, especially if the guild leaders learn that she has
guild’s entrance fee is 25 gp. compromised the guild in some way (giving guild secrets
away to an enemy guild, for example). Banishment from a
In addition, guild members are expected to pay a guild results in immediate loss of all benefits gained from
monthly fee equal to 5 gp per character level. Feel free both the guild and any guild feats the character possesses.
to adjust these amounts to fit the style of play if your Additionally, the attitudes of guild members toward the
campaign does not follow the expected PC wealth model character become one step less friendly (returning to
detailed in the Dungeon Master’s Guide. their original status unless other changes have occurred).
For example, guild members who became friendly to the
GUILD BENEFITS character when she joined the guild revert to indifferent
when she is banished.
Once a character has joined a guild, she can immediately
enjoy the benefits. New guild members receive general PLAYING A GUILD MEMBER 225
benefits, as given in the following section, that are
indistinguishable from one guild to the next. An active Joining a guild brings responsibilities. Each member
guild member (one who has taken the Favored in Guild is expected to serve the guild on an ongoing basis. If a
feat) enjoys all these general benefits plus one specialized character expects to be away from her responsibilities
benefit specific to the guild type (see the Favored in Guild while pursuing other goals (such as adventuring), she can
feat, page 227, for details). ask her guild to waive these service requirements while
• All guildhouses include barracks and kitchens, so that she is away, but in return for that favor she must agree to
pay the guild 10% of the value of any income or treasure
every member can be guaranteed food and a safe place gained on her expedition.
to sleep while she’s in the vicinity. In smaller guilds, she
might need to cook for herself, but the food is supplied.

Specific guild service requirements depend on the to go on adventures can threaten their standing in the guild.

guild’s type. Likewise, those characters who spend all their time fighting

Arcane: Any scholastic research or new spells the member trolls and exploring abandoned mines can find it difficult to

researches must be copied and donated to the guild’s library. make time to fulfill their guild responsibilities. As a general

Criminal: The only stated requirement of a criminal rule, the nature of the campaign and the character should

guild is that members must not divulge guild secrets to any dictate if joining a guild is a good idea or not.

nonmember. Any particularly large-scale or high-profile Advancement: In most guilds, there are three levels of

crime requires guild consent, and the guild usually takes membership. A lay guildmember is a person who has paid

15% of the member profits from such capers. her dues and qualified for the guild with the correct skills,

CHAPTER 6 Government: Each member of a government guild must but does little more than practice the guild’s affiliated

CHARACTERS spend at least 20 hours a week working for the guild. skills. A character who wants to take on a more pivotal role

Mercantile: In addition to the regular dues it collects, in a guild’s direction must take the Favored in Guild feat.

a mercantile guild levies a guild tax of 15% on the Taking this feat indicates the guild has taken notice of the

monthly income that members’ guild-affiliated business character’s skill, and the lay guildmembers look to her for

ventures produce. guidance and advice. Meetings for guild policies and the

Mercenary: A mercenary guild requires each member to like are generally open only to active members.

spend no fewer than 20 hours per week on missions and Finally, all guilds have at least one guildmaster. Guilds that

patrols. Generally, such duties are fairly safe and do not require have multiple guildhouses in multiple locations have one

much (if any) combat. In times of war or danger, however, guildmaster per house, and one of these is a grandmaster

members are required to support whatever cause the guild who oversees the entire guild. Becoming a guildmaster is

does. With a successful DC 25 Diplomacy check, a member something only the most devoted members can aspire to.

can have an adventure with her companions registered as a Qualifying for and taking the Guildmaster feat is one way to

“patrol,” and time spent adventuring counts toward this 20 become a guildmaster, but the position can also be awarded

hour week. Each additional attempt to register an adventure or inherited.

as a “patrol” increases the target Diplomacy DC by 2. Missions: Although most guilds don’t send their members

Naturalist: Because of their isolation, naturalist guilds on dangerous missions, all guilds value members who have

require more support and supplies than other guilds. strong adventuring skills (as long as a guild member doesn’t

Since their members are often absent for extended peri- let adventuring get in the way of her duties to the guild).

ods, each is required to pay a tithe equal to at least 25 gp More often than they would like, guilds find themselves in

per character level on every visit to a guildhouse, but no need of work best suited for adventurers. Perhaps a remote

more often than once a month. This is in addition to the guildhouse has fallen under the control of a band of kobolds.

member’s monthly dues. Tithes are usually paid in gear, Maybe a high-profile commission requires the gathering of

food, or magic items. rare components in a dangerous jungle. Or perhaps someone’s

Performer: A performer guild requires each member been causing the guild trouble lately, and the guildmasters

to perform his chosen services in support of other guild need someone to investigate the matter.Inthesecases,guilds

members as necessary. Generally, such service requires much prefer to turn to their own for solutions. Involving

1d4–1 days (8 hours per day) each week. outsiders runs a risk of allowing guild secrets to fall into

Psionic: Any new powers or psionic lore the member the wrong hands, so if one of their members is known to be

discovers must be shared with the guild. an adventurer, chances are good that the character will be

Religious: A religious guild requires only that its members contacted when such a mission arises.

adhere to the specific tenets and strictures of the faith.

Scholastic: A scholastic guild requires its members to GUILDS IN THE WORLD

contribute regularly to the guild’s knowledge and lore. Although this section presents guilds in a generic manner, no

This service equates to at least 20 hours per week spent two guilds are exactly alike. Similarly, guilds of like manner

in study, writing, and discourse with other members. aren’t necessarily affiliated. The leatherworker’s guild in one

Combat Duties: Most guilds don’t expect their mem- city might be allied with the leatherworker’s guild of the city

bers to have to fight as part of their duties to the guild. up the coast, but they could be in bitter competition with

Some, such as criminal guilds and naturalist guilds, are the guild in the city to the south. Some guilds are known

exceptions, but for the most part the life of a guildmember by simple names, such as the Blacksmiths’ Guild, while

is relatively safe. In fact, belonging to a guild can often others are known by complex or vague names such as the

put unwelcome restraints on the adventuring lifestyle. Honorable Association of Smiths or the Iron House.

Some guilds are franchised across multiple cities and even No matter what their purposes, all guilds can be sorted

nations, but others are local affairs. Characters who belong into one of three categories according to their power in

226 to a local guild might find that traveling all over the world society and the number of members they have.

Minor: These guilds either don’t interact much with Smiths’ guildhalls and just west of the Cathedral of Pelor.

society or lack the resources to make much of an impres- The guildmembers are particularly adept at polishing

sion on their home cities. An minor guild typically has pearls and coral.

between five and ten members. Examples include bands of DC 15: The guildmaster is a grumpy human man named

street thugs, minor mercenary groups, exclusive aristocrat Rodelik Karneth. It’s said he paid to have the inner doors

clubs, religions dedicated to local minor deities, adventur- of the guildhouse arcane locked from his own pocket, and

ing parties, and groups of merchants or crafters who have only a few members of the guild know the passwords.

little or no contact with people outside their immediate DC 20: Guildmaster Karneth wasn’t always an upstand-

environs. Guilds such as these rarely have guildhouses; ing citizen; he was a thug and a cutpurse in his youth

their members meet in public areas, members’ homes, or until a member of the Fastralli family set him on the CHAPTER 6

unique natural locations (such as a forest clearing or a sea path to redemption. CHARACTERS

cave entrance). The highest-level member of a minor guild DC 30: Some of Guildmaster Karneth’s old friends

is usually between 1st and 4th level. were recently released from prison, and rumor holds that

Standard: Guilds in this category are quite common in they’re nursing some powerful grudges against their old

large cities. With anywhere from eleven to a hundred mem- friend Rodelik, who might have had a hand in revealing

bers, they wield some degree of financial and political clout. their identities to the city watch so many years ago.

In addition to the typical thieves’ guild, standard guilds

might include a city watch, a prestigious school, the faithful GUILDS IN YOUR GAME

of a deity in a specific city, a troupe of traveling entertainers, Of all the sample organizations detailed here, guilds are

or a group of merchants that has a particularly strong influ- the easiest to introduce into an ongoing campaign simply

ence in a single city. Any group of like-minded adventurers because of their generic nature. Often, the PCs’ interaction

who share resources, information, and a common stronghold with a guild is fairly minor; they might only need to contact

can be considered a standard guild. A guild in this category the leader of the shipwright’s guild in order to commission

typically maintains a single guildhouse in which many of a ship, for example. But if a character wishes to join a guild

its members can rest and relax. The highest-level member to enjoy the benefits, introducing a new guild is a simple

of a standard guild is usually between 4th and 11th level. matter. Characters who become involved in their guilds can

Expansive: These guilds are the least common, but also become entangled in guild politics, and these develop-

they are easily the most recognizable. Such guilds can ments can spur their own adventures.

have hundreds or even thousands of members spread out Additionally, two new feats presented here should be

over numerous cities and locations. An expansive guild of special interest to players who wish to join guilds. The

could be a consortium of merchants from all the nation’s Favored in Guild feat allows a character to take on a more

major cities, a shadowy underground network of assassins important role in her guild, and to gain an additional

with dozens of cells, the faithful of a widespread religion, benefit from her affiliation. The Guildmaster feat allows

or an organization of adventurers from several nations a character to take over a local branch of his guild. Includ-

dedicated to the destruction of a particularly nefarious ing these feats places extra responsibility on you as a DM

villain. A guild in this category typically maintains numer- because events in the campaign can easily render them

ous guildhouses spread out among dozens of cities and inactive or useless. For example, a character who takes the

nations. The highest-level member of an expansive guild Favored in Guild feat can’t enjoy its benefits if a massive fire

is usually between 11th and 18th level. burns down the guildhouse and kills all the other guild

members. As DM, you must ensure that such events occur

GUILD LORE only rarely, if at all. If you do decide to remove a guild in

Since the rules for guilds are presented in an abstract this manner, any character with guild feats should have a

manner, you should tailor what information is available chance to join new or similar guilds before too many game

on a particular guild to match that guild’s type and the sessions pass. Upon doing so, she should immediately

nature of its members and guildmasters. As a general rule, regain the benefits of her guild feats.

Knowledge (local) is the skill people use to determine

information about a guild. A character with at least 5 ranks New Feat: Favored in Guild

in one of the guild’s affiliated skills gains a +2 bonus due You are an active and valued member of your guild.

to skill synergy on this Knowledge (local) check. Prerequisite: Membership in a guild.

As an example, here is some of the information a char- Benefit: Select one of your guild’s associated skills. As

acter might learn about Saltmarsh’s Jewelers’ Guild (see long as you remain a member of that guild, you gain a +2

page 128). competence bonus on all checks made with that skill.

DC 10: The Jewelers’ Guildhall is an ugly building As a fringe benefit, you also gain an ability relating to

located in east Saltmarsh, between the Scriveners’ and your guild’s type, as described below. 227

Arcane: The guild subsidizes the creation of magic items, while you are in your guildhouse, since you must research

reducing your raw material costs by 5%. the desired information in the guild’s holdings from other

Criminal: The guild opens up new options for black guild members to accomplish the task.

marketeering. Once every character level, you can purchase Normal: To receive general benefits from your guild,

any product or service for 75% of its actual price in any city you must pay your monthly dues. You do not gain any guild

in which your guild maintains a guildhouse. fringe benefits.

Government: You gain a +1 bonus on Diplomacy and

Intimidate checks when dealing with members of any guild, New Feat: Guildmaster

including your own. You are one of the leaders of your guild.

CHAPTER 6 Mercantile: You can charge a little bit more for the goods Prerequisites: Favored in Guild, Leadership, at least

CHARACTERS and services you sell, since membership in the guild implies one guildmaster-associated feat (see the table below); your

quality. Once per character level, you can sell a good or followers and cohorts must also qualify to join the guild;

service for 100% markup over its regular price in any city and at least one of your guild-associated skills must be a

where the organization maintains a guildhouse. class skill for you and must be at maximum rank.

Mercenary: Members of the same mercenary guild tend to Benefits: You gain a +2 competence bonus on each of

use combat tactics that mesh well with each other. When- your guild-associated skills.

ever you are adjacent to another member, each of you gains In addition, because of your enhanced status, you no

a +1 competence bonus to Armor Class. longer need to pay guild dues. If your guild is a standard

Naturalist: A naturalist guild uses a complex and con- or expansive one, you can expect special treatment—spe-

stantly evolving set of trailglyphs and blazes to keep its cifically, free lodging, free food, an office, and a simple

members informed of dangers, shelter, good hunting, and workshop, laboratory, or other space that contains any basic

other hazards or hidden benefits in the wilderness. You tools of your guild’s trade—at any guildhouse.

gain a +2 competence bonus on any Survival check made Furthermore, as a guildmaster, you have some degree of

to keep from getting lost or to avoid a natural hazard, such authority over other guild members. Once per day, you can

as quicksand. In addition, you can choose a particular exchange the primary cohort you gained from your Leader-

type of creature from the following list: animal, fey, giant, ship feat for a different cohort from your guild. Otherwise,

monstrous humanoid, plant, or vermin. You gain a +5 the standard rules for choosing a cohort apply. The DM

competence bonus on any Knowledge (nature) check you determines the actual pool of cohorts available to you, but

make concerning your chosen creature type. the new cohort is usually from the list of associated classes

Performer: While in a city that has a guildhouse, you can provided in the description of each guild type (see Guild

substitute a Perform or Profession check for a Diplomacy Types, page 223).

or Gather Information check by offering your service for Special: Guildmasters are expected to spend at least 8

free. In addition, you gain twice the normal income when consecutive hours per week dealing with administrative

using the Perform or Profession skill to earn money. matters and interacting with other guild members. A

Psionic: The guild subsidizes the creation of psionic items, guildmaster who fails to meet this requirement loses the

reducing your raw material costs by 5%. benefits of this feat for the following week.

Religious: Your faith is bolstered by active membership Special: You must keep at least one of your guild-associ-

in the guild. Once per character level, you can deem a ated class skills at maximum rank as you attain new levels.

particularly insidious mind-affecting ability possessed by A guildmaster who fails to meet this requirement loses the

an enemy to be a test of faith, thereby gaining a one-time benefits of this feat until he gains the necessary ranks.

+5 bonus on your Will saving throw. Special: As a nonstandard award for completing a particu-

Scholastic: Once per character level, you can take 20 on larly dangerous and lengthy mission of great importance to

any Knowledge skill in which you have at least 1 rank. a PC’s guild, the DM can award this feat as a bonus feat to

Using this ability takes 1 hour, and you can do so only anyone who qualifies for it.

Guildmaster-Associated Feats

Guild Associated Feats

Arcane Any item creation feat

Criminal Agile, Deceitful, Deft Hands, Nimble Fingers, Stealthy

Government Negotiator, Persuasive, Skill Focus (any guild-associated skill)

Mercantile Deceitful, Diligent, Skill Focus (any guild-associated skill)

Mercenary Combat Expertise, Dodge, Endurance, Mounted Combat

Naturalist Alertness, Animal Affinity, Endurance, Great Fortitude, Natural Spell, Run, Self-Sufficient

Performer Acrobatic, Agile, Athletic, Endurance, Great Fortitude, Skill Focus (Perform or Profession)

Psionic Any psionic item creation feat

Religious Extra Turning, Improved Turning, Skill Focus (Knowledge [religion]), Weapon Focus (with deity’s favored weapon)

228 Scholastic Skill Focus (Knowledge [any])

Illus. by A. Swekel

hapter 7 of the Dungeon Master’s Guide covers to this degree. However, they can still personalize

the basics of magic item construction and their work by adding a signature trait to the items

offers hundreds of sample items. But over they make.

time, players become blasé about their char- A signature trait is a minor effect that changes the

acters finding “yet another +1 rapier.” This chapter offers item’s appearance in some way. For example, a weapon

some new ways to customize the magic items in your could be wreathed in a cool mist, a shield might be

campaign—plus some special items that provide more ringed with tiny skulls, or a cloak might seem to swal-

than just static bonuses to character attributes. low up the light shining upon it. Such traits provide

no mechanical effect or benefit—they simply make

MAGIC ITEM items seem special and unique.
Signature traits vary widely. Since no single

SIGNATURE TRAITS character can master more than a handful of them,

Not all magic items are created equal, and even those these traits can be used to identify a particular

with the same powers need not be identical. The items item’s creator.

described in the Dungeon Master’s Guide, as well as those

presented in these pages and in other books, are base- SIGNATURE TRAIT
line examples of items that serve particular purposes. DESCRIPTIONS

Individual spellcasters add embellishments to items The following signature traits can be applied to

they create for themselves and for others—sometimes appropriate magic items.

adding new features to standard items, or even creating Barbed: The item has jagged hooks or spines.

items that can be worn without taking up magic item Bitter: An item that has this trait tastes,

slots. But incorporating such extensive alterations smells, and just plain looks altogether foul and

generally increases the item’s creation time and cost unpleasant.

dramatically, and not all spellcasters want to expend the Bleeding: A bleeding item oozes a trickle of

extra time and resources needed to alter their creations blood as long as it is held. 229

Table 7–1: Signature Traits Shadowy: A shadowy item is dead black in color, and

d% Trait d% Trait it seems to swallow up any light that shines upon it.
01– 04 Barbed 53–56 Loud Shrouded: An item that has this trait is perpetually
05–08 Bitter 57–60 Multicolored
09–12 Bleeding 61–64 Religious shrouded in a faint aura of cool mist.
13–16 Brilliant 65–68 Shadowy Sizzling: A sizzling item emits a faint, burning hiss
17–20 Clean 69–72 Shrouded
21–24 Comfortable 73–76 Sizzling whenever it strikes flesh.
25–28 Crude 77–80 Slimy Slimy: A faint residue of slime coats this item at all
29–32 Dreadful 81–84 Smoky
33–36 Fashionable 85–88 Sparking times.
Smoky: The item emits a faintly visible trail of smoke

CHAPTER 7 37–40 Flickering 89–92 Totemic whenever it is held.
41–44 Gaudy 93–96 Warped Sparking: An item that has this trait gives off sparks
MAGIC 45–48 Glowing 97–100 Writhing
ITEMS 49–52 Heavy whenever it strikes a foe or is struck by a weapon.
Totemic: This item is decorated with fetishes, carvings,

Brilliant: The item emits brief flashes of bright light and markings that identify it as sacred to a specific tribe

whenever it is activated. The creator determines the color or group of individuals.

of this light upon selecting the trait. Warped: A warped item seems to be constructed in an

Clean: An item that has this trait never becomes stained odd manner, and it has curves or protrusions that don’t

or dirty. correspond to any known method of creation.

Comfortable: The item is soothing and relaxing to wear Writhing: Upon activation, this item briefly twists and

or hold. writhes like a snake.

Crude: A crude item appears to be made from base

materials, and the workmanship looks shoddy. LEARNING A SIGNATURE TRAIT

Dreadful: The item bears frightening emblems, such Each time a character selects an item creation feat, he

Illus. by R. Mimura as skulls or leering faces, which seem to move when the can select one signature trait to be associated with it (see

item is activated or used. The creator chooses the specific Table 7–1: Signature Traits). For example, a cleric who

images upon selecting the trait. selects Craft Wondrous Item at 3rd level might choose

Fashionable: An item that has this trait is particularly fashionable, religious, or shadowy as the signature trait

attractive to look upon. for his wondrous items.

Flickering: This item flickers with a faint black flame A character can choose the same trait multiple times

that is too dim to provide any illumination. and apply it to different item creation feats.

Gaudy: A gaudy item might be For example, if the cleric described

brightly colored or covered with above chose Craft Wand at 6th level,

numerous fake jewels. It might he could select the same signature

even shimmer with a faint trait for his wands that he chose for

rainbow light. his wondrous items at 3rd level,

Glowing: This item sheds or he could choose a different

light equal to that of a candle for 1 trait. Typically, a character who

round upon activation or when- routinely creates items limits

ever a charge is expended. himself to a small number

Heavy: An item that has of signature traits—or even

this trait feels unusually heavy just one—since his creations

when held, though its actual are associated so closely with

weight is unchanged. him that they become part of

Loud: Upon activation, a his own identity.

loud item emits an incongru-

ous sound (such as a lion’s roar, APPLYING A
a strong musical chord, or a SIGNATURE TRAIT

short exclamation). Adding a signature trait has no effect

Multicolored: The item’s color- on the cost to create, time to create, or

ation changes at random intervals. market price of the item to which it is

Religious: A religious item bears the applied. It changes only the appearance

symbol of a particular faith or deity and A bone devil decked out in of the item, not its function.
incorporates icons or colors used by dreadful plate mail The signature trait that a character

230 adherents of that faith. chooses for a specific item creation feat

is automatically applied to all items he creates with that The rules in this section provide characters with a

feat, as long as the result is reasonable. For example, a belt new option for creating or improving magic items. Put

of giant strength isn’t a weapon, so applying the sparking simply, a character can spend his own gold and experience

trait (see Table 7–1) to it would serve no purpose. points to imbue a bonded item with magical powers. But

A single item can have only one signature trait. Should the system is more than just a different way to pay for

a character have a choice of traits that could apply to a magic items—it also encourages roleplaying by using

particular item, he must select only one. For example, a character’s adventures to guide his selection of magic

creating bracers of archery requires both the Craft Magic items (and vice versa). Every one of the bonding rituals

Arms and Armor feat and the Craft Wondrous Item described below is an adventure unto itself, and you can

feat, so a character who has both could apply the trait use them to build exciting encounters that engage both CHAPTER 7

associated with either of those feats, but not both of the characters and the players. MAGIC

them at once. ITEMS

IDENTIFYING A SIGNATURE TRAIT CREATING A BOND

By undertaking a special ritual and paying certain costs,

By definition, every signature trait gives items made a character can create a bond between himself and any

with it a certain identifiable characteristic. Anyone who one item that has an innate value. The chosen item

examines such an item should be able to determine which need not be magic, but it must meet at least one of the

signature trait it possesses just by the way it looks or feels. following qualifications.

If any doubt remains, a DC 10 Spellcraft check identifies

a signature trait. • Item is masterwork.

Furthermore, signature traits provide bonuses on other • Item is magic.

checks. Any character who makes a successful skill check • Item is worth at least 100 gp.

or bardic knowledge check to learn about the origin, his-

tory, or powers of an item with a signature trait gains a The bond so created lets the character imbue the item

+2 circumstance bonus on the check if he knows which with magical properties, and it grants him one or more

trait it has. See Identifying Items, page 212 of the Dungeon special abilities as well. A bonded item cannot be imbued

Master’s Guide, for more information on such checks. with a temporary or single-use power in the way that a

potion or a scroll can. Only permanent items (such as

ASSIGNING A SIGNATURE TRAIT magic weapons or magic rings) or items with multiple

When you place magic items created by a particular NPC charges (such as wands or staffs) can be created through

as treasure, simply assign them traits according to that bonding rituals.

character’s choices. When you randomly roll for magic To create a bond with an item, a character must undergo

items, assume that any item has a 5% chance to possess a one of the bonding rituals described below. Functionally,

signature trait. If a trait is present, assign a specific one any ritual can grant any property to an item, but you can

that seems appropriate, or randomly determine a trait by rule that only specific rituals confer certain abilities.

rolling on Table 7–1. If the result doesn’t match the item The chosen ritual links the character to the item and

(such as a bitter cloak of resistance), reroll until you get a allows him to imbue it with some magical property (or

result that does match. improve its existing magical properties) as part of that

procedure. In addition to meeting the requirements given

in the ritual description, the character must pay the cost

BONDED MAGIC ITEMS of the special materials needed—unguents, incense,

Most magic items in the D&D game are created by powerful special clothing, and so forth—and expend XP as noted.

spellcasters—typically wizards—who use item creation This latter requirement represents the character lending

feats to unlock the secrets of weaving incantations into a portion of his life force to the item to provide it with

physical objects. Once they are created, such items work power. Any materials required by the ritual are consumed

reliably for anyone capable of using them properly. Improve- or otherwise rendered useless for later use.

ments and upgrades to existing magic items are usually The gp and XP costs for imbuing a bonded item with

accomplished in the same manner. magical properties are the same as those normally

But what if a character could unlock a favorite item’s required to craft the item with the requisite item creation

powers through her own deeds? After all, it’s far more feat. For example, a character who wishes to imbue a

heroic to say that your sword gained the flaming burst masterwork longsword with a +1 enhancement bonus

ability because you survived a horrible, fiery conflagration through a bonding ritual must pay 1,000 gp in material

than to admit that you dropped it off at the local wizard’s costs and 40 XP, just as a character with the Craft Magic

tower for a few days along with a chest of gold pieces. Arms and Armor feat would. If the item has any other 231

special costs—an expensive material component, for Other Benefits of a Bond

example—those must also be paid. In addition to imbuing a chosen item with magical proper-

The character can otherwise ignore the normal prereq- ties, a bonding ritual grants the character a minor benefit

uisites for creating the item (such as the ability to cast a or special ability, as noted in the individual bonding ritual

certain spell), with the following exceptions. descriptions below. A character who also has the Truebond

feat (see the sidebar) gains additional special abilities specific

• If the creation of the item requires a specific class to the bonding ritual completed.

feature or feat (other than an item creation feat), or a

certain number of ranks in a skill, the creator must meet BONDING RITUALS

CHAPTER 7 that prerequisite. The bonding ritual is a combination of a task and a cer-

MAGIC • If the creation of the item requires a character of a emony. The character wishing to create the bond must
ITEMS
certain caster level (for example, a +3 longsword), the carry out both parts of the ritual—usually in any order,

creator’s character level must equal or exceed the caster though this requirement varies in some rituals. Unless

level prerequisite. otherwise stated, the character can have assistance in

completing the ritual. For example, other characters

Once the ritual is complete, the item behaves like any might aid the bonding PC in defeating the necessary foe,

other magic item with the same properties, but only for or they might contribute gold toward the material cost

the character who completed the ritual. In the hands of for the ritual. However, the bonding PC must personally

any other character, it functions as if it had none of the complete the task, and no other character can contribute

special powers granted by the bonding ritual. Thus, a XP toward the ritual.

player whose character bonds with an item that already Bonding rituals come in many forms. Functionally,

has magical properties must keep track of which ones each accomplishes the same purpose—establishing a

resulted from the bond and which ones stemmed from bond between character and item—but the task, prereq-

the traditional magic item creation process. For example, uisites, and special benefits vary widely. Typically, the

a +3 longsword that gained the flaming special ability character chooses which bonding ritual he wishes to

through a bonding ritual functions just like any other complete, though the DM might decide that certain ritu-

+3 flaming longsword when wielded by the character. In als are more appropriate for particular items or magical

the hands of another character, however, it is a normal properties than others. (The Ritual of Faith, for example,

+3 longsword. might always be required to grant an alignment-based

A character wishing to add another magical property to special ability, such as anarchic or holy, to a weapon.)

a bonded item must undergo another bonding ritual and Each ritual description gives a few example items as an

pay the appropriate gp and XP cost for the new power. For aid to DMs who wish to customize bonding rituals in

example, adding a +1 enhancement bonus to a masterwork this way.

longsword requires one bonding ritual. If the character A character can complete more than one bonding

wishes to add the keen special ability to the weapon at a ritual for the same item, and in fact, most characters

later date, he must undergo another ritual. This new ritual who bond with items do so. The new bonding ritual need

need not be the same as any previous one, but he loses the not be of the same type as the previous one, but each

benefits that he himself gained from the previous ritual new ritual replaces any special abilities the character

(see Bonding Rituals, below, for details) upon performing gained from the previous one (including any benefit of

the new one. the Truebond feat) with those corresponding to the new

No character can be bonded to more than one item at ritual. For example, suppose a character uses the Ritual

a time. Creating a bond to a second item automatically of Dread to imbue his weapon with a +1 enhancement

severs any existing bond the character might have. The bonus, then later uses the Ritual of Faith to add the holy

previously bonded item loses any magical properties it special ability to the same weapon. The weapon keeps

gained from bonding rituals, and the character also loses all the magical properties granted by both rituals, but

any special abilities gained from those rituals. the character loses the special abilities granted by the

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NEW FEAT: TRUEBOND the last bonding ritual you completed. This special ability applies
Your bond to your chosen item becomes stronger. only while the bonded item is in your immediate possession (held
or carried on your body).
Prerequisite: Character level 6th, completion of a bonding
ritual. In addition, you can use locate object as a spell-like ability at
will (caster level equals your character level), but only to locate
Benefit: You gain a special ability from the bond you have estab- the bonded item.
lished with your chosen item, as noted in the ritual description for

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232

Ritual of Dread and replaces them with the benefits of vanquished foe, during which you anoint both yourself

the Ritual of Faith. and the weapon with the creature’s blood (or similar sort

BONDING RITUAL DESCRIPTIONS of bodily fluid).
Benefit: You gain a +2 bonus on Knowledge checks

The bonding rituals described below are presented in the related to creatures of the same type as the vanquished

following format. foe (see the Knowledge skill description, page 78 of the

Player’s Handbook). For example, defeating a wyvern as part

Ritual Name of the Ritual of Blood grants you a +2 bonus on Knowledge

The entry begins with a description of the ritual in plain (arcana) checks regarding dragons.

language. Truebond Benefit: You gain a +4 bonus on damage rolls CHAPTER 7

Prerequisite: This portion of the description gives the against creatures of the same type as the vanquished foe. MAGIC

requirements for the character undertaking the ritual. Typical Items: This ritual can be used with any weapon. ITEMS

These might include a minimum base attack bonus, a mini-

mum number of ranks in one or more skills, a minimum Ritual of Dread

caster level, a feat or feats (other than item creation feats), You forge a bond with your chosen weapon by overcoming

or any of numerous other requirements. Typically, these your natural fear of life-draining effects.

prerequisites are not difficult to meet, though a single Prerequisite: Intimidate 6 ranks.

ritual might have more than one. Task: You must use the chosen weapon to deliver the

Task: The task that the character must accomplish to killing blow against a creature with the energy drain

complete the ritual is described here. Not all tasks are special attack (such as a vampire) whose Challenge Rating

appropriate for all items—for example, delivering a killing is at least 2 higher than your character level.

blow with the item is a task that works well for weapons, Ceremony: Within 1 minute of completing the task,

but not for rings or belts. Working such tasks into the you must spend a full-round action to channel the dis-

campaign and making them part of the ongoing storyline sipating negative energy of your vanquished foe into

increases the level of personal interest and investment that yourself and your weapon. This process bestows one

players have in the campaign. negative level on you, which must remain in effect for

Ceremony: This section describes the ceremony that 24 hours. If the negative level is removed by any means

the bonding character must complete. He must pay any during this period, the ritual automatically fails. At the

gp cost or XP cost as part of this ceremony. end of the 24-hour waiting period, the negative level

Benefit: The minor benefit or benefits accrued by a disappears as if you had successfully saved against it, and

character who completes the bonding ritual are noted the ceremony is complete.

here. These benefits are usable only while the character Benefit: You gain a +2 bonus on Fortitude saves made

is in possession of the bonded item. to remove negative levels.

Truebond Benefit: This portion of the description Truebond Benefit: You can ignore the effects of a single

notes the benefit or benefits accrued by a character with negative level, taking no penalties on rolls and losing nei-

the Truebond feat (see the sidebar) who completes the ther hit points nor spells. (You must still make the usual

ritual. These benefits are usable only while the character saving throw 24 hours later to remove the negative level

is in possession of the bonded item, and then only if he so that it does not become permanent.) If you have gained

still meets the prerequisites for the Truebond feat. more than one negative level, you function as if you had

Typical Items: The last entry in the description offers one less negative level than you actually do.

examples of the types of items most commonly associated Typical Items: This ritual can be used with any weapon.

with the ritual.

Ritual of Faith

Ritual of Blood You forge a bond with the chosen item by using it in battle

You forge a bond with your chosen weapon by using it to against an enemy of your faith.

defeat a powerful enemy. Prerequisites: Knowledge (religion) 3 ranks, able to

Prerequisite: Base attack bonus +3. cast 2nd-level divine spells.

Task: You must use the chosen weapon to strike the Task: While wielding or wearing the item, you must

killing blow against a living creature whose Challenge deliver the killing blow to an outsider whose Challenge

Rating is at least 2 higher than your character level. The Rating is at least 2 higher than your character level. At

creature must be an aberration, animal, dragon, giant, least one component of this outsider’s alignment must be

magical beast, monstrous humanoid, or vermin. opposed to yours. For example, if you are lawful good, the

Ceremony: Within 1 hour of completing the task, you outsider must be either chaotic or evil. If you are neutral,

must complete a 15-minute ceremony of respect for the neither component of the outsider’s alignment can be 233

neutral (that is, it must be lawful good, chaotic good, lawful vanquished foe. This ceremony must conclude with the

evil, or chaoric evil). bestowal of sufficient healing (magical or otherwise) to

Ceremony: Within 1 hour of completing the task, you restore the creature to consciousness.

must begin an 8-hour ritual of prayer and concentration Benefit: As long as the bonded item is stowed (not held,

in a temple or on a site dedicated to your patron deity. worn, or otherwise immediately useable), you gain a +1

Benefit: You gain a +1 bonus on Will saves against spells bonus on initiative checks.

or spell-like abilities used by outsiders whose alignment Truebond Benefit: You gain a +4 dodge bonus to AC

does not match your own. against attacks of opportunity made by creatures that you

Truebond Benefit: The bonded item is considered to have not yet attacked.

CHAPTER 7 have your alignment, and any effects it generates have Typical Items: This ritual can be used with any weapon,

MAGIC alignment aspects that match yours. Furthermore, if you armor, or shield.
ITEMS
have any abilities that affect your alignment-based spells

(such as the Good domain), these abilities also affect the Ritual of Magic

bonded item’s powers. Finally, any attack made by a bonded You forge a bond with the chosen item by overcoming an

weapon that has this benefit overcomes damage reduction enemy spellcaster’s magical prowess.

of the appropriate types. For example, if you are lawful Prerequisite: Spellcraft 6 ranks.

good, your bonded weapon overcomes damage reduction Task: You must successfully counter or dispel a spell

as if its attacks were both good and lawful. cast by an enemy whose caster level is at least 2 higher

Typical Items: This ritual can be used with any armor, than your own.

shield, staff, amulet, phylactery, or vestment. Ceremony: Within 24 hours of completing the task,

you must meditate for 8 consecutive hours without

Ritual of Fire interruption.

You forge a bond with your chosen item by enduring the Benefit: You gain a +1 bonus on caster level checks made

destructive power of a fiery conflagration. while holding or wearing the bonded item.

Prerequisite: Base attack bonus +3. Truebond Benefit: You gain a +1 bonus on saving throws

Task: While holding the chosen item, you must against spells and spell-like abilities made while holding

voluntarily fail a saving throw against a fire spell cast or wearing the item.

by an enemy whose caster level equals or exceeds your Typical Items: This ritual can be used with any rod,

character level. The spell must be capable of dealing staff, wand, amulet, cloak, or robe.

damage equal to at least half your full normal hit points.

You may not use any means (including spells such as Ritual of Purity

resist energy) to protect yourself from the fire damage You forge a bond with the chosen item by undergoing a

dealt by the spell. You need not survive the damage to grueling ritual of bodily purification.

complete the task. Prerequisite: Concentration 6 ranks or Autohypnosis

Ceremony: Within 24 hours of completing the task, 6 ranks (see the Expanded Psionics Handbook).

you must complete a 1-hour ceremony of prayer in front Task and Ceremony: You must meditate and fast for 14

of a bonfire or similar conflagration. consecutive days, eating no food and drinking only water.

Benefit: You gain a +1 bonus on saving throws against You may not use any means (either magical or mundane)

spells or effects with the fire descriptor. to heal the nonlethal damage dealt by starvation, nor

Truebond Benefit: You gain resistance to fire 10. may you accept any assistance from another character in

Typical Items: This ritual can be used with any armor, completing (or surviving) this task. The item must be in

shield, weapon, cloak, ring, or helm. your possession during the entire process.

Benefit: You gain a +1 bonus on Constitution checks

Ritual of Honor and Constitution-based skill checks.

You forge a bond with the chosen item by defeating an Truebond Benefit: You take no penalties to Strength

enemy in honorable combat. or Dexterity for fatigue.

Prerequisites: Diplomacy 6 ranks, any lawful alignment. Typical Items: This ritual can be used with any weapon,

Task: You must challenge and defeat a creature whose bracers, or cloak.

Challenge Rating equals or exceeds your character level

and whose Intelligence score is 3 or higher. All damage Ritual of Song

dealt to the creature must be nonlethal, and none of it may You forge a bond with the chosen item by using it to

be dealt by any of your allies. demonstrate your talent for performance. Despite its name,

Ceremony: Within 1 hour of completing the task, this ritual applies to any kind of performance, even one

234 you must begin a 10-minute ceremony of respect for the with no vocal components.

Prerequisite: Perform (any) 6 ranks. Task: You must complete an overland trek of at least CHAPTER 7
Task and Ceremony: You must use Perform checks 50 miles per character level you possess. You can have
to earn at least 1% of the gp cost for imbuing the bonded company on this journey, but you must cover the entire MAGIC
item with its new ability. See the Perform skill descrip- distance on foot. The chosen item must accompany you
tion, page 79 of the Player’s Handbook, for details. The item throughout this task. ITEMS
must be incorporated into each of these performances
in some way—perhaps as accompaniment to a musical Ceremony: At some point during each day of travel, you 235
performance, or as a prop or costume accessory. must meditate for 1 hour. If this meditation is interrupted,
Benefit: You gain a +1 bonus on Perform checks made you can begin meditating again. However, if you let an
while holding or wearing the item. entire 24 hours pass without performing the required
Truebond Benefit: You can add 1 to the caster level of meditation, you must restart the journey.
any spell you cast while holding or wearing the item, as
long as the spell has both a verbal and a somatic component. Benefit: You gain a +1 bonus on Survival checks, as well
A spell cast without either or both of these components as on all checks and saves mentioned in the description of
for any reason—either because it does not require them the Endurance feat (see page 93 of the Player’s Handbook).
or because it is affected by a feat such as Still Spell—does
not gain this benefit. Truebond Benefit: You can move at your normal speed
Typical Items: This ritual can be used with any amulet, through difficult terrain that would normally halve your
cloak, hat, instrument, or vest. speed, including undergrowth (but not heavy undergrowth),
shallow bogs, steep slopes, and dense rubble. Obstacles
Ritual of Theft (such as low walls), as well as any magically created difficult
You forge a bond with your chosen item by using it in terrain, hamper your movement as normal.
grand larceny.
Prerequisites: Any three of the following skills (6 ranks Typical Items: This ritual can be used on any boots,
each): Bluff, Disable Device, Hide, Move Silently, Open cloak, or container.
Lock, Search, or Sleight of Hand.
Task: You must steal one or more objects that together MAGICAL LOCATIONS
are worth at least as much as the gp cost of the ceremony AS TREASURE
(see below) from a foe whose Challenge Rating is at
least 2 higher than your character level. The foe need Magical locations have a rich history in the fantasy genre.
not be in physical possession of the objects at the time The power imbued in such special places allows heroes to
of the theft, but he must be within 100 feet of them. accomplish any number of fantastic deeds.
You must then use your chosen item in some fashion
that involves one of the same rolls or checks you made Locations of power can be used for various purposes
during the theft. within a DUNGEONS & DRAGONS campaign. Some, such
Ceremony: Within 1 hour of completing the task, you as the earth nodes described in the FORGOTTEN REALMS
must give away stolen treasure whose gp value equals or product Underdark, might serve as sites for the working
exceeds the cost of imbuing the bonded item with its new of especially powerful magic. Others, such as the planar
abilities. Throughout the distribution of these items, you touchstones described in Planar Handbook, might unlock
must spread tales of your skill and cunning. potential advancement opportunities or special abilities in
Benefit: You gain a +1 bonus on any Open Lock check characters. Still others, such as the rune circles described in
or Search check on which you take 10. Races of Stone, could allow PCs to create permanent magical
Truebond Benefit: You gain a +2 bonus on any Open effects bound to tightly confined areas. But as compelling as
Lock or Search check on which you take 20, and on any those ideas are, at least one interesting concept for magical
Bluff, Disable Device, or Sleight of Hand check on which locations remains unexplored—that of a location imbued
you take 10. with magical power that is available for the taking.
Typical Items: This ritual can be used on any boots,
cloak, gloves, or container. The magical locations described in the following sec-
tions grant special abilities to qualified characters who
Ritual of Travel brave their particular dangers. Although the prerequisites
You forge a bond with the chosen item by carrying it with for these abilities are matched to the character types that
you during a long journey. most directly and easily benefit from them, almost any
Prerequisite: Knowledge (geography) 6 ranks or Survival character can qualify for a magical location’s power. Most
6 ranks. of the locations described below confer abilities that are
usable only for a specified period, or come with a specific
number of uses. All the abilities reflect the nature of the
locations from which they originate in some manner.

Unlike magic items, magical locations never occur as
part of random treasures. They appear only when you place
them within the campaign. Therefore, you decide whether

or not they are within reach of the PCs. If you wish, you power for a specified period of time (generally 1 day to 1

can allow a character created at a level higher than 1st to year, depending on the location) before it can do so again.

include one or more special abilities granted by a magical However, if the creature on which a magical location

location in his overall wealth. Such powers, however, are has conferred its an ability dies, the location is instantly

even more subject to DM approval than are magic items recharged and can confer its ability again immediately, no

the character carries. matter how much recharge time remains. A location that

can confer its ability on more than one creature before

PLACING MAGICAL LOCATIONS needing to recharge can be renewed early only if all those

You have the final say about where, when, and how magical who currently enjoy the ability die. If the conferred ability

CHAPTER 7 locations occur within your campaign, just as you control has a duration shorter than the required recharge period,

MAGIC access to magic items by determining which ones are for the creature’s death still recharges the location immedi-
ITEMS
sale in any given city or shop. Because the various types ately, even if the creature can no longer use the ability.

of magical locations serve different purposes and operate

under different rules, it is perfectly acceptable (perhaps MAGICAL LOCATION DESCRIPTIONS

even compelling) to combine more than one kind in the The magical locations described below are presented in

same adventure site. For example, a dwarf citadel could the following format.

house an earth node (from the Underdark supplement), a

rune circle (from Races of Stone), and one of the magical Name of Magical Location

locations described here. The presence of these three The entry begins with a description of the location in

sites might result from the nature of the stronghold or plain language.

the influence of its powerful dwarf mages and clerics, or Lore: This portion of the description provides any

it might have been the reason that the dwarves settled the information available to characters about the location,

area in the first place. along with the relevant Knowledge DCs necessary to

Magical locations offer nearly limitless potential for acquire it. Bardic knowledge checks can be substituted

adventuring. Because they are for the most part immobile for any of these checks at the same DCs.

(though one or two, such as the terrible cyst, move from Description: The first paragraph offers a physical

time to time), they contrast well with the equally sought description of the location, written in simple, declarative

after but highly portable magic items that spur so many style. The second paragraph, if present, includes more

heroic quests. details about the place (including sounds, smells, and

tactile sensations) and details how its magical effect or

NATURE OF MAGICAL LOCATIONS special ability looks once it’s in effect.

In general, a magical location can be suppressed (by dispel Prerequisite: The prerequisites needed to gain the magi-

magic), or even disjoined (by Mordenkainen’s disjunction), cal location’s special ability are detailed here. In addition

as if it were a magic item containing a spell of caster level to meeting these prerequisites, a character must visit the

10th with an object Will save bonus of +15. Such a site is location physically to have any chance of acquiring the

metaphysically tied to its area, so destroying buildings, special ability it confers.

walls, or other physical structures in and around the loca- Location Activation: These paragraphs describe the

tion does not eliminate its ability to confer its power. rules for acquiring and using the special ability that the

Unless otherwise specified, no creature can gain the location bestows. Any command words or activities needed

benefit of a magical location’s conferred power more than to activate the location’s power are also noted here.

once. Even if the power has limited uses or a fixed duration, Recharge: The time needed for the location to recharge

a character cannot regain it by returning to the magical is given in this section.

location after it expires. Furthermore, once a location has Special Ability: This entry describes the special ability

conferred its ability on a character, it must recharge its conferred and gives the rules for using it.

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BEHIND THE CURTAIN: a particular challenge normally calls for a treasure reward of
MAGICAL LOCATIONS AS TREASURE 5,000 gp, you could substitute a dragonheart tomb (see page
Utilizing magical locations as treasure is a great way to provide 238) whose power affects two PCs (a 2,000 gp value) for part
characters with a new and interesting alternative reward in- of that amount and award only 3,000 gp worth of standard
stead of still another +1 longsword. Since magical locations are treasure. Other types of locations, such as touchstones or earth
supplements to regular treasure, each is assigned a gp value, nodes, confer powers that require a character to give up a feat
so that its benefits can be directly substituted for treasure that slot or pay some other cost to gain their benefits, so they are
characters would otherwise receive. For instance, if overcoming not considered to be treasure.

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236

Duration: This section gives the ability’s duration or sway over dreams. Still others claim that it formed sponta- CHAPTER 7
number of uses. neously as a manifestation of some unknown connection
between the physical world and the realm of dreams. MAGIC
Aura: This line describes the type of magical aura that
surrounds the location. Whatever its origin, the altar grants intelligent creatures ITEMS
that spend sufficient time in its presence a limited ability to
Ability Value: This entry is the gp value of the con- communicate through dreams. An altar of the dreamwalker
ferred ability. (These figures are summarized on Table can form in nearly any terrain or location, but it generally
7–2.) Although these abilities can never be bought or sold, appears in a sylvan glade with a large stump or felled tree
their gp values are provided so that you can track treasure of great age that serves as the center of its magic. Over
values. You can then substitute these abilities for treasure time, the magic of the altar works subtle changes on the
value on a one-for-one basis, and also track them as part nearby terrain, causing plants to flourish and infusing the
of overall character wealth by adding their values to the air with a thin but ever-present mist. Those who visit it are
value of the character’s equipment (see Table 5–1: Character aware of a certain freshness in the air and an unmistakable
Wealth by Level, page 135 of the Dungeon Master’s Guide). feeling of growth and life.

Table 7–2: Magical Location Values Value Lore: Characters can gain the following pieces of
1,500 gp information about an altar of the dreamwalker by making
Location 2,000 gp Knowledge (arcana) or Knowledge (nature) checks at the
Watchpost of vigilance 2,000 gp appropriate DCs, as given below.
Altar of the dreamwalker 2,000 gp
Dragonheart tomb 2,000 gp DC 15: An altar of the dreamwalker is a magical location
Heart of stone 2,500 gp imbued with the power of dreams.
Heart of wind 3,000 gp
Terrible cyst 3,000 gp DC 20: Intelligent creatures that rest within the glade
Heart of flame 3,000 gp of an altar of the dreamwalker gain an effective but fleeting
Heart of ice 4,000 gp ability to communicate through their dreams.
Necropolis of dread 8,000 gp
Footsteps of Corellon 8,000 gp DC 25: An altar of the dreamwalker is somehow bound to
Ember of dragonfire 9,000 gp the magic of the fey as well as to the magic of of dreams, but
Garden of nature’s rage 10,000 gp little is known about this obscure connection.
Spellward of arcane might 10,000 gp
Everflame 10,000 gp Description: The glade in which an altar of the dream-
Last Stand of the Ironsworn 10,000 gp walker stands is peaceful and serene. Lush grass covers the
Pool of frozen souls ground between healthy trees of great age. In the center
Shrine of the weaponmaster of a small clearing, the ancient, moss-covered remains of
a long-fallen tree offer silent testimony to the age of the
ALTAR OF THE DREAMWALKER place. All its vegetation, from grass to shrubs to ancient
trees, seems flush with life and unusually hale.
The altar of the dreamwalker is a location imbued with the
pure essence of dreams. Some sources maintain that it was The fresh scents of wildflowers deepen the sense of
formed by great arcane magic; others insist that it gained its peace in the glade, and even the sounds of the forest seem
power from the presence of powerful fey creatures who held distant and muted near the altar.

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SWIFT AND IMMEDIATE ACTIONS Casting a quickened spell or manifesting a quickened power is
The Miniatures Handbook introduced the concept of a new action a swift action. In addition, casting any spell or manifesting any
type: the swift action. Likewise, the Expanded Psionics Handbook power with a casting time or manifesting time of 1 swift action
introduced another new action type: the immediate action. Some (such as earth hammer) is a swift action.
of the magical locations, armor and weapon special abilities, and
other features of Dungeon Master’s Guide II use these concepts. Casting a spell or manifesting a power with a casting or manifest-
A description of how they work follows. ing time of 1 swift action does not provoke attacks of opportunity.

Swift Action: A swift action consumes a very small amount Immediate Action: Much like a swift action, an immediate
of time, but represents a larger expenditure of effort and energy action consumes a very small amount of time, but represents a
than a free action. You can perform one swift action per turn larger expenditure of effort and energy than a free action. Unlike
without affecting your ability to perform other actions. In that a swift action, an immediate action can be performed at any
regard, a swift action is like a free action. However, you can per- time—even if it’s not your turn. Using an immediate action on
form only a single swift action per turn, regardless of what other your turn is the same as using a swift action, and counts as your
actions you take. You can take a swift action any time you would swift action for that turn. You cannot use another immediate
normally be allowed to take a free action. Swift actions usually action or a swift action until after your next turn if you have used
involve magic or psionics, or the activation of magic or psionic an immediate action when it is not currently your turn (effec-
items; many characters (especially those who don’t use magic tively, using an immediate action before your turn is equivalent
or psionics) never have an opportunity to take a swift action. to using your swift action for the coming turn). You also cannot
use an immediate action if you are currently flat-footed.

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237

Prerequisite: An altar of the dreamwalker confers its DC 15: A dragonheart tomb forms only when a great

special ability only on a creature with an Intelligence dragon dies while using or affected by powerful necro-

score of 8 or higher. mantic magic.

Location Activation: To gain the ability conferred DC 20: Each such location holds tremendous necroman-

by an altar of the dreamwalker, a qualified creature must tic power that can be drawn forth and used to augment

spend 8 hours in uninterrupted rest within 20 feet of necromantic spells.

the central stump or tree. Ethereal creatures cannot DC 25: A dragonheart tomb is always watched and

approach within 30 feet of it, and any effect that would guarded—not just by those who seek to harvest its power

cause a creature within this radius to become ethereal for themselves, but also by those who seek to prevent the

CHAPTER 7 automatically fails. spread of necromancy.

MAGIC Small communities of mystics occasionally gather for Description: A dragonheart tomb is a vast, expansive,
ITEMS
years around an altar of the dreamwalker to study the magic foreboding cavern. Its rough floors are sloped and jagged,

of dreams and the power of the altar. and the ceiling has a wealth of stalactites, clefts, and other

An altar of the dreamwalker grants the dream ability to uneven features. The immense bones of a great dragon,

only one creature at a time. If multiple qualified creatures lying inanimate in the center of the cavern, are the most

are present simultaneously, only one (selected at random) striking features of the tomb.

gains the power. The cavern seems perpetually dim, and although light

Recharge: Once it has granted a creature the dream sources function normally within it, an impression of

ability, an altar cannot do so again for 24 hours. darkness still remains. Any illumination seems temporary

Special Ability (Sp): An altar of the dreamwalker grants and somehow fragile, as if the tomb were just waiting to

the ability to use dream (caster level equals creature’s return to its natural state of darkness. The air within a

character level) as a spell-like ability once during the next dragonheart tomb also has an unnatural chill, which many

24-hour period. If not used within that timeframe, the liken to the presence of death. Although the creeping

ability is lost. darkness and seeping cold produce no tangible effects,

Duration: A creature that uses the ability and then creatures find their stay within a dragonheart tomb both

spends another 8 hours resting within the required unnerving and unpleasant.

radius of the altar regains the ability as soon as the altar Prerequisite: To gain the benefits of a dragonheart tomb,

has recharged (24 hours after gaining it the first time). a creature must be able to cast at least one 2nd-level or

The creature can continue this process for as long as higher necromancy spell.

desired, regaining the ability each day, so long as it does Location Activation: A qualified spellcaster can sense

not leave the area of the altar. Once it passes beyond the the lingering power of a dragonheart tomb and claim a

20-foot radius of the altar’s power, it can never again gain small shard of it by spending a full-round action within

the ability. its confines. A dragonheart tomb holds enough power

Aura: Moderate illusion. to boost the spellcasting ability of up to two qualified

Ability Value: 2,000 gp. creatures simultaneously.

DRAGONHEART TOMB Recharge: After a dragonheart tomb has conferred its
ability twice, it cannot grant its power again for one

When a great dragon dies while using powerful necro- full year.

mantic magic underground, the place of its death might Special Ability (Ex): A spellcaster who draws forth the

be imbued with mighty arcane energies that convert it power of a dragonheart tomb has an effective +1 caster level

into a dragonheart tomb. Characters skilled in necromantic for all necromancy spells.

magic can sometimes claim some of the latent power of Duration: The increased caster level lasts for one year.

such a site for themselves. Aura: Strong necromancy.

Dragonheart tombs occur only underground. Over time, Ability Value: 2,000 gp (1,000 gp per creature affected).

the magic inherent in such locations shifts and warps

the terrain within the immediate area, withering any EMBER OF DRAGONFIRE

vegetation, darkening the stone, and decaying any natural When a fire-breathing dragon uses its breath weapon to

substances. Creatures entering such an area become aware destroy other powerful creatures, the site of the battle

of an unnerving chill in the air. might become an ember of dragonfire. Imbued with the

Lore: Characters can gain the following pieces of infor- dragon’s magical fire, the souls of the destroyed crea-

mation about a dragonheart tomb by making Knowledge tures are bound into the ground where they died. This

(arcana) checks at the appropriate DCs, as given below. contained dragonfire causes the entire area to glow with

DC 10: A dragonheart tomb results from the death of a an unsettling heat, which serves to mark the location

238 great dragon. as magical, although it causes no physical harm. While

the magic of the dragonfire remains active, the affected Lore: Characters can gain the following pieces of

area also glows with a dim, reddish light reminiscent of information about an everflame by making Knowledge (the

a dimly glowing ember. planes) checks at the appropriate DCs, as given below.

An ember of dragonfire can form anywhere that a powerful DC 10: An everflame is a remnant of a long-standing

creature dies in the flames of a dragon’s breath. But such connection to the Elemental Plane of Fire that holds the

sites are still quite rare, even when powerful dragons are essence of that fiery realm.

present. Even a great wyrm red dragon might die of old DC 15: Those who withstand the fires of an everflame

age without ever causing the formation of such a site. can resist the effects of any fire.

Lore: Characters can gain the following pieces of infor- DC 20: Anyone who stands within an everflame can

mation about an ember of dragonfire by making Knowledge draw a small portion of its magic into himself and gain CHAPTER 7

(arcana) checks at the appropriate DCs, as given below. significant resistance to fire damage. MAGIC

DC 10: An ember of dragonfire is a magical site that holds Description: An area imbued with the power of an ITEMS

the essence of a dragon’s fiery breath. everflame is perpetually afire. Its flames burn creatures

DC 15: Embers of dragonfire are sometimes created when and objects brought into contact with them, but they do

powerful creatures succumb to a dragon’s fiery breath. not spread, nor do they burn more than a few yards of the

DC 20: Embers of dragonfire allow certain creatures to surrounding area. Because an everflame is found only where

capture the essence of the dragon’s fire within themselves a gate to the Elemental Plane of Fire has long existed, it

and breathe it out again, just like a dragon can. typically occurs near some natural source of fire or heat.

Description: Because they form in a wide variety of For example, an everflame might be found on a rocky island

locations and under various conditions, embers of dragonfire floating in lava, at the heart of a vast, scorching desert, or

tend to have few physical characteristics in common. The in some other such fearsomely hot location.

only constants are the heat that pervades the area and a Prerequisite: Only a creature with at least five character

faint red glow in the area of the original embers. levels can access the power of an everflame, and then only if

Prerequisite: Only a creature with more than three it possesses no special ability that would lessen the damage

character levels can sense and access the power of an ember it takes from fire.

of dragonfire. Location Activation: The fires of an everflame occupy

Location Activation: Any qualified creature that enters a 15-foot-radius, circular area and provide flickering

the site senses the burning energy that suffuses it. By illumination to a distance of 15 feet beyond that in every

spending a full-round action within the confines of the direction. This magical fire deals 2d6 points of fire damage

ember, the creature takes this latent power into itself. If the per round to any creature in contact with it.

creature is unintelligent, it instinctively draws forth the To gain the benefit of an everflame, a qualified creature

power of the site unless directly threatened by combat. must stand unprotected within its confines for at least 3

Recharge: Once an ember of dragonfire has conferred rounds. Each incarnation of an everflame affects only five

its power upon a single creature, it cannot do so again creatures at a time. If more than five creatures qualify for

for one year. the benefit at once, only five of them (chosen randomly)

Special Ability (Su): A creature empowered by an gain it.

ember of dragonfire can breathe a 30-foot cone of fire once Recharge: Once an everflame has conferred its benefits on

per day. Every creature within the cone takes 6d8 points five creatures, it cannot confer them again for one year.

of fire damage, though a successful Reflex save (DC 10 + Special Ability (Ex): A qualified creature gains resis-

1/2 empowered creature’s HD + empowered creature’s Con tance to fire 5. A creature that already has resistance to

modifier) halves the damage. A creature gains this ability fire from another source (even a temporary one, such as a

in addition to any breath weapon or similar ability that it spell or item) gains nothing from an everflame. A creature

might already have. can gain this benefit only once, and its effects do not

Duration: The ability to breathe fire lasts for 30 days. stack with any other resistance to fire the creature might

Aura: Strong evocation. subsequently gain.

Ability Value: 8,000 gp. Duration: The resistance to fire lasts for one year.

Aura: Strong abjuration and evocation.

EVERFLAME Ability Value: 10,000 gp (2,000 gp per affected creature).

When a gate or portal to the Elemental Plane of Fire remains

open for several centuries, a small area around it can become FOOTSTEPS OF CORELLON

imbued with the magic of everflame. Such a location holds Throughout the long history of his people, the great elf

the magical essence of fire within it, and creatures of suf- deity Corellon Larethian has performed many wondrous

ficient power sometimes draw this power into themselves, deeds. Although he is a being of great peace and wisdom,

gaining resistance to fiery spells and effects. Corellon Larethian has at times been forced to pit his 239

own immense power against the foes of the elves in Recharge: Once a given footstep has bestowed its power

direct combat. In a few such battles, the divine might on a single elf, it cannot do so again for five years. This long

that Corellon exerted has forever altered the landscape recharge time makes the power a particular prize for the

around the site. discoverer of such a site or the winner of a race to it.

Such locations, which are known as footsteps of Corellon, Special Ability (Su): A footstep of Corellon grants the

are imbued with shards of the deity’s power. When dis- ability to make one ranged smite attack each day with

covered, these sites become sacred to the elves, who visit a thrown weapon or projectile weapon. On a successful

them in pilgrimages. In rare instances, such a location attack, a bonus equal to the elf’s character level (maximum

might yield up some of its intrinsic power to a worthy elf, +20) applies to his damage roll. This smite ability can

CHAPTER 7 granting her the ability to deliver terrible attacks with a be used against any creature within 30 feet that the elf

MAGIC ranged weapon. Sometimes a community that knows of a considers a foe. He must declare that he is using the smite
ITEMS
nearby footstep selects its fittest and most deserving elves ability before making the attack roll. If the attack misses

and bids them race to the location. The elf who arrives first or if the target is farther than 30 feet away, the smite has

gains the benefit of the site and proves both her athletic no effect, and its use is lost for the day.

prowess and her devotion to Corellon. Duration: Any elf who receives the smite ability retains

Lore: Characters can gain the following pieces of infor- it for 30 days.

mation about a footstep of Corellon by making Knowledge Aura: Strong transmutation.

(history) or Knowledge (religion) checks at the appropriate Variants: If the elf deity Corellon Larethian is not

DCs, as given below. included in your campaign’s pantheon, you can easily

DC 10 (history or religion): The footsteps of Corellon are sites associate the footsteps of Corellon with some other deity that

where Corellon Larethian took up weapons against the plays a similar role in your campaign. You can even change

foes of the elves. the elven flavor of these sites by choosing a nonelf deity

DC 15 (history): Footsteps of Corellon are not formed every known for archery. If you change the deity, however, you

time Corellon comes to the Material Plane. They form only must also alter the name of the magical location.

when he expends a great deal of his own power there. Ability Value: 4,000 gp.

DC 15 (religion): On rare occasions, footsteps of Corellon

are imbued with some of the deity’s divine power, and GARDEN OF NATURE’S RAGE

powerful elves benefit from exposure to them. Filled with the raw, unknowable force of nature itself, a

DC 20 (religion): An elf who journeys to one of the footsteps garden of nature’s rage is a wellspring of power that is over-

of Corellon and meditates there gains the ability to make looked by those who delve into the mysteries of the arcane

powerful ranged smite attacks. or master the rituals of the divine. In these few rare places,

DC 35 (history or religion): A successful check at this level the raw anger of nature manifests and pours directly into

allows the character to learn or recall a clue to the location the servants and defenders of wild places, increasing their

of a footstep of Corellon. power dramatically. Certain powerful druids can draw the

Description: Footsteps of Corellon differ greatly in power of a garden of nature’s rage into themselves to make

appearance, since their physical attributes are determined their wild shaped forms more powerful in combat.

more by where the struggle took place than by any action Lore: Characters can gain the following pieces of infor-

on the part of Corellon. Footsteps of Corellon have been mation about a garden of nature’s rage by making Knowledge

found in stark mountain passes, deep underground grot- (nature) checks at the appropriate DCs, as given below.

tos, and various other strange locations in which the great DC 15: Gardens of nature’s rage are wild, powerful places filled

elf deity brought his power to bear against an enemy of with the pure essence of nature’s might. Their power is con-

his people. nected in some way with the powers of the druid orders.

Regardless of their physical appearance, these sites are DC 20: A druid who roams a garden of nature’s rage gains

filled with a sense of peace and purpose. Any intelligent some special enhancement to his druid abilities.

creatures that enter the area perceive this intangible DC 25: A high-level druid who successfully bonds with a

quality, but it seems particularly palpable to elves of garden of nature’s rage draws some of its power into herself.

good alignment. After this process is complete, she uses this power to

Prerequisite: Only a good-aligned elf with at least five enhance her physical prowess while in wild shape.

character levels can gain the power granted by a footstep DC 35: A successful check at this level allows the char-

of Corellon. acter to learn or recall a clue to the location of a garden of

Location Activation: To gain the benefit of a footstep nature’s rage.

of Corellon, a character must meditate uninterrupted for 1 Description: A garden of nature’s rage is always a wild and

hour within its confines. If this meditation is interrupted, untracked stretch of wilderness. It can occupy an area as small

240 the character can begin again. as a few miles across in each direction, or as vast as an entire

continent. Regardless of its size, the garden is filled with her, but otherwise she must undertake the ordeal alone.

lush and healthy plant life, wild and powerful animals, and While wandering the garden, the druid uses her spells

a variety of fey creatures. The animals in a garden of nature’s and abilities normally, but she must befriend and aid the

rage grow larger and stronger than others of their kind, and natural creatures she encounters and fight only against

dire animals frequently prowl these magical sites. those who would do harm to the natural world.

The sounds of nature fill a garden of nature’s rage. Massive Recharge: Once it has granted its ability to a single

dire animals crash through dense vegetation and under- druid, a garden cannot do so again for one year.

brush in search of prey, while smaller animals clamor and Special Ability (Ex): Once per day, when the druid

call to one another. assumes a new form through the use of her wild shape

A druid who claims the power granted by a garden of ability, she gains a +4 enhancement bonus to Strength CHAPTER 7

nature’s rage takes on a feral and twisted appearance when and Constitution. These increases last as long as the druid MAGIC

in wild shape. For example, she might have longer, more maintains the wild shape. She decides whether or not to ITEMS

vicious fangs and a feral cast to her features in the form of a use this ability upon activating her wild shape.

dire wolf, or jagged stone spikes protruding from her body Duration: The enhanced wild shape ability lasts for

in earth elemental form. Her normal form is unaffected one year.

except for a gleam of power in her eyes. Aura: Strong transmutation.

Prerequisite: Only a 5th-level or higher druid can access Ability Value: 8,000 gp.

the power contained within a garden of nature’s rage.

Location Activation: To claim the power HEART OF FLAME

of a garden of nature’s rage, a qualified druid Great concentrations of magi-

must roam the area for one week, living cal fire sometimes imbue

off the land and sleeping in the open. the places where they occur

Her animal companion can accompany with an inner fire of their

Illus. by M. Phillippi

A garden of nature’s rage
is full of untapped potential

241

own. These locations, known as hearts of flame, form from Duration: The conferred ability lasts for one year.

large outpourings of magical fire, the presence of several Aura: Strong evocation.

extremely powerful fire elementals, or even the opening of Ability Value: 3,000 gp.

a gate or portal to the Elemental Plane of Fire. Despite the

fact that they arise from a variety of sources, hearts of flame HEART OF ICE

are extremely rare. In a manner similar to its antithesis, the heart of flame, a

Since magical fire touches almost any sort of place, hearts heart of ice is a place imbued with the magical power of cold.

of flame vary considerably in appearance and location. One A heart of ice results from the death of a powerful being with

might be a cave whose dark stone walls seem to flicker with the cold subtype, the presence of powerful cold magic, or

CHAPTER 7 buried fire; another could be a forest glade that somehow a long-open gate or portal to a plane of great cold. Despite

MAGIC radiates heat and light without producing actual flame. the fact that they arise from a variety of sources, hearts of
ITEMS
Whatever their outward nature, however, all such places ice are extremely rare.

draw their power from the purest essence of magical fire. Since magical cold touches almost any sort of place,

Lore: Characters can gain the following pieces of infor- hearts of ice vary considerably in appearance. Most are in

mation about a heart of flame by making Knowledge (arcana) arctic climes, hidden away in deep crevasses or ice caves

checks at the appropriate DCs, as given below. of great size and awe-inspiring beauty. Regardless of its

DC 15: A heart of flame is a mystical location imbued with other characteristics, however, a heart of ice is always frigid.

the purest essence of fire. Stones, vegetation and objects within its confines quickly

DC 20: The magical essence of fire contained in locations become rimmed with frost, the air is uncomfortably cold,

known as hearts of flame somehow augments fire-based and the ground is slippery with ice.

magic. Lore: Characters can gain the following pieces of infor-

DC 25: Spellcasters of sufficient skill who journey to a mation about a heart of ice by making Knowledge (arcana)

heart of flame can pull some of this power into themselves checks at the appropriate DCs, as given below.

to increase the power of their fire spells. DC 15: A heart of ice is a mystical location imbued with

Description: Though hearts of flame vary greatly in the purest essence of cold.

appearance, all have some similar characteristics. Such DC 20: The magical essence of cold contained in loca-

a site always seems unusually warm, and the ambient tions known as hearts of ice somehow augments cold-based

temperature is never lower than 70° Fahrenheit. If the magic.

normal ambient temperature of the surrounding area DC 25: Spellcasters of sufficient skill who journey to a

is higher than 70°, the temperature within the heart of heart of ice can pull some of this power into themselves to

flame is warmer still—usually at least 10° to 15° above increase the power of their cold spells.

the norm. In addition, the entire area glows dimly with Description: Though hearts of ice vary greatly in

a red, flickering light, as if unseen flames were reflecting appearance, all have some similar characteristics. Such

off the walls, the ground, or even nearby creatures. This a site always seems unusually chilly, and the ambient

flickering light provides dim illumination throughout temperature is never higher than 40° Fahrenheit. If

a heart of flame. the normal ambient temperature of the surrounding

Flames seem to spring from the body of any spellcaster area is lower than 40°, the temperature within a heart of

who has successfully drawn power from a heart of flame ice is cooler still—usually at least 10° to 15° below the

whenever she casts a spell with the fire descriptor. But norm. In addition, the entire area glows dimly with a

although this fiery nimbus looks impressive, it deals no dull, blue radiance, which provides dim illumination

damage of any kind. throughout a heart of ice. The air in such a place is always

Prerequisite: Only a 5th-level or higher spellcaster can crisp and clean.

access the power contained within a heart of flame. The air around any spellcaster who has successfully

Location Activation: To claim the power of a heart drawn power from a heart of ice drops a few degrees in

of flame, a qualified spellcaster must stand within its temperature and takes on a crisp, icy clarity whenever

confines and draw its power into herself by force of he casts a spell with the cold descriptor. This inherent

will. Doing so requires a full-round action and provokes coolness deals no damage of any kind.

attacks of opportunity. Prerequisite: Only a 5th-level or higher spellcaster can

Recharge: Once a heart of flame has conferred its access the power contained within a heart of ice.

ability on a single spellcaster, it cannot do so again for Location Activation: To claim the power of a heart of

one year. ice, a qualified spellcaster must stand within its confines

Special Ability (Su): A spellcaster who draws forth the and draw its power into himself by force of will. Doing

power from a heart of flame has an effective +1 caster level so requires a full-round action and provokes attacks

242 for all spells with the fire descriptor. of opportunity.

Recharge: Once a heart of ice has conferred its ability Prerequisite: Only a 5th-level or higher spellcaster can CHAPTER 7
on a single spellcaster, it cannot do so again for one year. access the power contained within a heart of stone.
MAGIC
Special Ability (Su): A spellcaster who draws forth the Location Activation: To claim the power of a heart of
power from a heart of ice has an effective +1 caster level for stone, a qualified spellcaster must stand within its confines ITEMS
all spells with the cold descriptor. and draw its power into herself by force of will. Doing
so requires a full-round action and provokes attacks 243
Duration: The conferred ability lasts for one year. of opportunity.
Aura: Strong evocation.
Ability Value: 3,000 gp. Recharge: Once a heart of stone has conferred its ability
on a single spellcaster, it cannot do so again for one year.
HEART OF STONE
Special Ability (Sp): A spellcaster who draws forth
Hearts of stone always form underground, in spots where the power from a heart of stone channels spell energy into
strange and wondrous events have occurred. These rocky damage reduction. He casts a particular spell from the
caverns might form around a powerful concentration of school of abjuration, but instead of benefiting from the
earth magic (such as the earth nodes described in the spell normally, he gains damage reduction equal to twice
FORGOTTEN REALMS supplement Underdark), but more often its spell level with respect to adamantine. The ability can
they result from powerful earth-based spells, the presence be used once per day and lasts for up to 10 minutes. The
of several earth elementals, or a gate to the Elemental damage reduction can be dispelled as if it were a separate
Plane of Earth. spell cast by the spellcaster.

Although they look like normal caverns, the closed-in Duration: The conferred ability lasts for one year.
spaces that make up a heart of stone are filled with the Aura: Strong abjuration.
unadulterated power of the earth. Most creatures that visit Ability Value: 2,000 gp.
such a spot know that it is a special location, even if they
cannot identify its exact nature. HEART OF WIND

Lore: Characters can gain the following pieces of infor- In a manner similar to its antithesis, the heart of stone, a
mation about a heart of stone by making Knowledge (arcana) heart of wind is a place imbued with the magical power of
or Knowledge (dungeoneering) checks at the appropriate elemental air. A heart of wind results from the presence of
DCs, as given below. several powerful air elementals, the use of great air-based
magic, or even the opening of a gate or portal to the
DC 15 (arcana): A heart of stone is a mystical location Elemental Plane of Air. Despite the fact that they arise from
imbued with the purest essence of elemental earth. a variety of sources, hearts of wind are extremely rare.

DC 20 (arcana): The magical essence of stone contained A heart of wind forms in nearly any kind of place—even
in locations known as hearts of stone somehow augments deep underground. Typically, however, it forms high
abjuration magic. above the ground’s surface—either at the peak of a great
mountain, or suspended in the air high above an open
DC 25 (arcana): Spellcasters of sufficient skill who plain. A strong wind blows constantly through a heart of
journey to a heart of stone can pull some of this power wind, though its direction and exact strength might change
into themselves to increase the power of their abjuration from time to time.
spells.
Lore: Characters can gain the following pieces of infor-
DC 35 (dungeoneering): Each heart of stone consists of mation about a heart of wind by making Knowledge (arcana)
only one kind of rock. The area around such a location checks at the appropriate DCs, as given below.
can sometimes be identified by the unusual purity of its
stone. DC 15: A heart of wind is a mystical location imbued with
the purest essence of elemental air.
Description: Hearts of stone are always found under-
ground. Though they vary greatly in location, size, and DC 20: The magical essence of elemental air contained
appearance, one common feature sets them apart from in locations known as hearts of wind somehow augments
natural stone formations: Each heart of stone is composed the use of magic.
of only one kind of stone or mineral, as are the areas in its
immediate vicinity. This uniformity occasionally helps a DC 25: Spellcasters of sufficient skill who journey to a
skilled dungeoneer find these rare locations. heart of wind can pull some of this power into themselves to
gain the ability to cast spells normally delivered by touch
Any creature affected by a spell that has been aug- as ranged effects.
mented by the power of a heart of stone takes on a vaguely
crystalline appearance. The edges and ridges of its form Description: Hearts of wind are typically located so high
are sharper than normal, as though the creature’s body above the ground that even normal flying creatures have
had been carved from crystal. This change in appearance difficulty reaching them. But air elementals, djinn, and
is merely cosmetic and lasts only as long as the spell’s other creatures of elemental air do not share this difficulty
effects do. in attaining the extreme altitudes at which a heart of wind

CHAPTER 7 is usually found. In addition to the difficulties imposed holding out long enough for all their fellows to escape
by the altitude, those seeking a heart of wind must deal were vanishingly small. Looking to one another for
MAGIC with the fact that it is made out of air and nothing else. See courage, the dwarves swore a powerful joint oath to hold
ITEMS invisibility, true seeing, and similar spells are of no help in the passage—not for the safety of the city and not for
locating a heart of wind, but a Spot check (DC 50, reduced their own honor, but for the brotherhood they had built
244 as appropriate for distance) reveals it. among themselves.

Unlike most other magical locations, hearts of wind are Against all expectations, the Brotherhood of the Iron-
mobile, and they tend to act like bubbles of pure, magi- sworn held the evil humanoids at bay for three entire days.
cally charged air moving through the upper reaches of Only when word came that the last dwarf was safely away
the atmosphere. Thus, finding one usually requires both from the city’s gates did the remaining Ironsworn finally
powerful divinatory magic and a great deal of luck. A fall. Because of the Ironsworn’s devotion and extreme
few such locations are stationary, and occasionally one heroism, the spot where they made their last stand gained
moves slowly enough that a determined searcher can mystical powers of its own.
learn relevant clues about its location. The more mobile
hearts of wind, however, leave no traces of their passage and Lore: Characters can gain the following pieces of infor-
are impossible to locate if they are not within range of a mation about the Last Stand of the Ironsworn by making
divination spell. Knowledge (history) or Knowledge (arcana) checks at the
appropriate DCs, as given below.
A fierce gust of wind jostles the hair and clothes of
a spellcaster who has successfully drawn power from a DC 15 (history): The Last Stand of the Ironsworn is a
heart of wind whenever she casts a touch spell at range dwarven legend about a group of warriors who held off a
(see Special Ability, below). Although this breeze is large horde of humanoids bent on attacking a city.
not strong enough to adversely affect the spellcaster
or other creatures, all those nearby hear and feel the DC 25 (history): The Last Stand of the Ironsworn is one of
rushing of air. the greatest tales of dwarven military might, and the site
of these heroic dwarves’ last stand is said to have magical
Prerequisite: Only a 5th-level or higher spellcaster can powers.
access the power contained within a heart of wind.
DC 25 (arcana): The Last Stand of the Ironsworn is an
Location Activation: To claim the power of a heart obscure magical location that allows groups of good-
of wind, a qualified spellcaster must stand within its aligned heroes to swear a powerful oath of mutual
confines and draw its power into himself by force of protection.
will. Doing so requires a full-round action and provokes
attacks of opportunity. Description: The Ironsworn made their final stand
just inside the gates of their great underground city.
Recharge: Once a heart of wind has conferred its ability A grand passage, once lined with the artistry of proud
on a single spellcaster, it cannot do so again for one year. dwarven craftsmen, leads to a gaping hole more than
40 feet high and nearly as wide. Beyond this gap lie the
Special Ability (Su): A spellcaster who draws forth the ruins of the great city itself. Once, a magnificent pair of
power of a heart of wind uses touch spells at range. Once adamantine doors kept unwelcome visitors out, but the
per day, she treats the range of any touch spell of 3rd level same great forces that shattered the Ironsworn’s might
or lower as if it were 30 feet. The spell affects the target pulled these gates down and used the adamantine as raw
normally, just as if the spellcaster had made a successful material for several powerful magic weapons and suits
melee touch attack. If the spell actually is used as an attack of armor.
(that is, against a foe), the spellcaster must succeed on a
ranged touch attack instead of the melee touch attack that The skin of creatures bound to the power of the Iron-
would normally be required. This ability has no effect on sworn gains a vaguely metallic sheen when they call
spells whose ranges are other than touch. upon the bond they share. This change in appearance
provides subtle but noticeable visual evidence of the Iron-
Duration: The conferred ability lasts for 30 days. sworn’s magic.
Aura: Strong transmutation.
Ability Value: 2,000 gp. Prerequisite: Only a group of good-aligned allies who
stand together at the site of the Ironsworn’s last stand can
LAST STAND OF THE IRONSWORN draw the power from this unique magical location.

Centuries ago, a group of powerful dwarf warriors was Location Activation: To claim the power of the Last
given a desperate mission—to hold the underground Stand of the Ironsworn, a group of good-aligned allies must
passage leading to a great dwarf city against an encroach- stand together at the site and forever bond themselves as
ing horde of hobgoblins and bugbears while the city was comrades in arms. The magic of the location, enhanced
evacuated. When the intrepid band of dwarves beheld and made manifest by the devotion and courage of the
the onrushing foes, they knew that their chances of Ironsworn, grants the group a greater than normal ability
to stand together against foes.

CHAPTER 7

MAGIC

ITEMS

Illus. by B. Hagan

The Last Stand of the Ironsworn

Recharge: Once it has conferred its power on a group allies who stood together at the Last Stand of the Ironsworn

of up to five allies, the Last Stand of the Ironsworn cannot dies before that time.

grant the ability again for one year. Most DMs link the Aura: Strong transmutation.

number of creatures that the Last Stand of the Ironsworn Variants: Unlike other locations described in this

can affect to the number of characters adventuring section, the Last Stand of the Ironsworn carries its own

together, so that no player feels excluded from the specific history. However, a DM wishing to use the

benefits. This option also creates a game mechanic that abilities of the Last Stand of the Ironsworn in another way

reinforces the party’s natural desire to continue adven- can easily change the details of this history. Warriors of

turing together. another race, nation, or affiliation could easily provide

Special Ability (Su): Once per day, a group of allied the impetus for such a magical location at any site where

creatures that have stood together at the Last Stand of the they made a desperate last stand against overwhelming

Ironsworn can call upon the power of the site. To do so, one odds. Simply changing the name and back story of the

of them must spend a standard action yelling, “Remember location allows you to place the magical effects in any

the Ironsworn!” Each ally within 30 feet of another ally area of your campaign world.

immediately gains a number of temporary hit points equal Ability Value: 10,000 gp (2,000 gp per affected creature).

to twice the number of eligible allies. These temporary

hit points last for up to 1 hour. For example, if a group of NECROPOLIS OF DREAD

five heroes who have stood together at the Last Stand of A necropolis of dread is a dark and twisted grave site that

the Ironsworn are all within 30 feet of each other, and one seems to draw all light into itself. Its lusterless black

of them spends a standard action to call forth the site’s walls and pale bones create a gloom-filled impression of

power, each gains 10 temporary hit points that last for up death and hopelessness. These rare sites usually result

to 1 hour. from strong necromantic magic, the creation of powerful

Duration: The conferred power lasts for one month. It undead, or massive slaughter in the name of some evil

ends prematurely for all creatures in the group if any of the power. Whatever its location, the landscape within a 245

CHAPTER 7 necropolis of dread is forever changed, and never again does the outside temperature, the water in a pool of frozen souls
the area feel clean or wholesome to living creatures. never freezes, and it remains frigid to the touch even in
MAGIC the hottest ambient temperatures. Because the magic of
ITEMS Lore: Characters can gain the following pieces of infor- the pool is tied to its location, not to the water within it,
mation about a necropolis of dread by making Knowledge any water removed from the pool is simply normal water.
246 (religion) checks at the appropriate DCs, as given below. A pool of frozen souls that is completely drained of water
loses its magical abilities.
DC 15: A necropolis of dread is a magical gravesite full of
unknowable terrors. Lore: Characters can gain the following pieces of informa-
tion about a pool of frozen souls by making Knowledge (the
DC 20: A necropolis of dread grants some of its fearsome planes) checks at the appropriate DCs, as given below.
power to any skilled necromancer who manages to brave
its horrors. DC 10: A pool of frozen souls is the remnant of a long-
standing connection to the Elemental Plane of Water, and
DC 25: A necromancer who masters the power of a necropolis it holds the essence of that watery realm.
of dread casts fear-inducing magic with greater facility. In addi-
tion, creatures that brave the necropolis are more resistant DC 15: It is said that those who withstand the chill of a
to other fear-inducing effects, even if they have no ability pool of frozen souls can resist the effects of any cold.
with necromancy or fear-inducing magic.
DC 20: Those who stand within a pool of frozen souls gain
Description: A necropolis of dread is as dark and fearsome significant resistance to cold damage by drawing a small
as its name implies. Its black walls seem to absorb light, portion of its magic into themselves.
and even the brightest days take on a dim and cheerless
aspect within its confines. An unearthly stillness pervades Description: The area around a pool of frozen souls is
its grounds, and even the slightest sound seems jarring perpetually filled with an unearthly chill. The cold of the
amid the silence of the dead. air and the water of the pool painfully freezes creatures
and objects in contact with them, but these effects do
When a spellcaster who has withstood the horrors of not spread beyond the small area around the pool itself.
the necropolis uses its power to enhance a fear-inducing Because pools of frozen souls are found only in areas that
spell, his body is wrapped in a shadowy cloud that seems have held gates to the Elemental Plane of Water for long
to pulse and writhe with power. periods, they almost always occur near or within some
great body of water. Such a site might include an island
Prerequisite: Only a character with five or more on which land-bound creatures forged the gate, but more
character levels can access the power contained within a often they are submerged in water.
necropolis of dread.
Prerequisite: Only a creature with at least five character
Location Activation: The obelisk at the center of a levels can benefit from the effects of a pool of frozen souls.
necropolis of dread sends a magical spear of fear through
each creature that approaches within 50 feet. The effect is Location Activation: A pool of frozen souls is continu-
identical to that of a fear spell (Will DC 18). Only a creature ally lit by a dull blue glow that emanates from the water
that spends a full-round action while within 50 feet of the itself. This magical pool deals 2d6 points of cold damage
obelisk benefits from the site’s power. Activating the site per round to any creature in contact with its water.
in this manner provokes attacks of opportunity.
To gain the benefits of a pool of frozen souls, a qualified
Recharge: Once a necropolis of dread has conferred its creature must stand unprotected within its confines for at
ability on a single spellcaster, it cannot do so again for least 3 rounds. Each incarnation of the pool affects only five
one year. creatures at a time. If more than five creatures qualify for
the benefit at once, only five of them (selected at random)
Special Ability (Su): Any qualified spellcaster who gain it.
draws forth the power of a necropolis of dread gains a +4
bonus on saving throws against fear effects. In addition, Recharge: Once a pool of frozen souls has conferred its
whenever he casts a spell with the fear descriptor, or uses benefits on five creatures, it cannot confer them again for
a spell-like or supernatural ability that induces fear, the one year.
DC of the required saving throw increases by 1.
Special Ability Activation and Effect (Ex): A qualified
Duration: The conferred ability lasts for one year. creature gains resistance to cold 5. A creature that already
Aura: Strong necromancy. has resistance to cold from another source (even a tempo-
Ability Value: 3,000 gp. rary one, such as a spell or item) gains nothing from the
pool. A creature can gain this benefit only once, and its
POOL OF FROZEN SOULS effects do not stack with any other resistance to cold the
creature might subsequently gain.
This strange pool of magic water is akin to an everflame but
opposite in effect. Formed by the presence of powerful Duration: The resistance to cold lasts for one year.
cold magic or a long-standing portal to a particularly frigid Aura: Strong abjuration.
section of the Elemental Plane of Water, a pool of frozen souls Ability Value: 10,000 gp (2,000 gp per affected creature).
resembles a pool of extremely cold water. Regardless of

SPELLWARD OF ARCANE MIGHT spellcaster can access the power contained within a spell- CHAPTER 7
ward of arcane might.
A magical event of great power sometimes gives rise to MAGIC
a spellward of arcane might. Such areas are imbued with Location Activation: To claim the power of a spellward
so much raw arcane energy that the very air seems to of arcane might, a qualified arcane spellcaster must stand ITEMS
hum with unfocused power. Like other magical loca- within its confines and draw its power into herself by
tions, spellwards of arcane might are extremely rare, and the force of will. Doing so requires a full-round action and
conditions that give rise to them are poorly understood. A provokes attacks of opportunity.
spellward of arcane might could arise from battles between
multiple powerful spellcasters, the creation of an artifact Recharge: Once a spellward of arcane might has
or a similarly powerful magic item, the use of multiple conferred its ability on a single spellcaster, it can-
wish spells in the same spot, and similar titanic releases not do so again for one year.
of arcane power.
Special Ability (Su): An arcane spell-
Although spellwards form anywhere, most are indoors. caster who draws forth the power of a
Magical glyphs of vibrant blue energy continuously form spellward of arcane might casts certain
and fade on the walls, ceilings, and floors of these spaces. spells faster than normal. Once
While only a few such sigils are ever present within a per day, she can cast a spell of
spellward, their glow provides faint illumination within 3rd level or lower that nor-
its confines. mally has a casting time
of 1 standard action as a
Lore: Characters can gain the following pieces of swift action instead.
information about a spellward of arcane might by making (See page 237 for
Knowledge (arcana) checks at the appropriate DCs, as the definition
given below. of a swift
action.)
DC 15: A spellward of arcane might is a wellspring of magi-
cal power. Illus. by M. Cotie

DC 20: A spellward of arcane might allows a spellcaster to
alter spells as they are cast.

DC 25: A spellward of arcane might is a magical location that
grants an experienced spellcaster the ability to spontane-
ously quicken a small number of spells.

Description: Spellwards of arcane might are usually
found indoors. Every interior surface of such a loca-
tion is covered in glyphs that glow with a magical
light. This faint glow provides dim illumination
throughout the spellward.

When a spellcaster enhances a spell
with the power of a spellward, glowing
blue runes form in the air around
her. These runes vanish almost
immediately, but their pres-
ence is a visible reminder
of the power granted by
the spellward.

Prerequisite:
Only a 5th-level
or higher arcane

The sorcerer Aramil draws power from a spellward of arcane might 247

Duration: The conferred ability functions for 30 days. and attuning himself to a single melee weapon with which

Aura: Strong transmutation and universal. he is proficient. After completing this simple ritual, he

Ability Value: 9,000 gp. gains a +2 bonus on damage rolls for attacks made with the

attuned weapon. The warrior stays attuned to the weapon

SHRINE OF THE WEAPONMASTER until the following morning. At that point, he can repeat

Imbued with the martial perfection and power of an the ritual with the same weapon or a different one. Failure

exceptionally skilled warrior, a shrine of the weaponmaster is to perform the ritual on any given day means he does not

a hallowed place associated with great displays of martial gain the bonus on damage rolls for the following 24-hour

skill. Most often, the death of a great warrior gives rise period, but he still retains the ability to perform the ritual

CHAPTER 7 to a shrine of the weaponmaster, but it can also result from on subsequent days until the ability expires.

MAGIC a significant display of martial prowess by a living war- Duration: The conferred ability lasts for 30 days.
ITEMS
rior or group of warriors. Though called a shrine, such a Aura: Strong divination.

location has no connection to divine power and can be Ability Value: 10,000 gp (2,000 gp per affected creature).

found anywhere.

Lore: Characters can gain the following pieces of TERRIBLE CYST

information about a shrine of the weaponmaster by making Terrible cysts are near-organic lesions in the earth itself that

Knowledge (history) checks at the appropriate DCs, as crop up in nearly any terrain. These cancerous blemishes

given below. form in nearly any above- or belowground location. The

DC 15: A shrine of the weaponmaster is the site where a presence of a terrible cyst causes nearby plant life to turn

famous warrior fell, or where one or more warriors dis- black and cancerous, stone to crack and crumble, and

played great martial prowess. metal to rust. A terrible cyst might form where a powerful

DC 20: A shrine of the weaponmaster holds some of the demon has lingered for a long time, or where a creature

martial skill of the great warrior or warriors who fought of great good turned suddenly to evil, or where an item of

there. Those who visit the location can pull some of this powerful evil magic was created. Such conditions do not

power into themselves. always create terrible cysts, but they seem to increase the

DC 25: A shrine of the weaponmaster is a magical chances that one might form.

location that allows a skilled warrior to bond with a Lore: Characters can gain the following pieces of

specific weapon, thereby gaining amazing skill with the information about a terrible cyst by making Knowledge (the

weapon. planes) checks at the appropriate DCs, as given below.

Description: The power embodied in a shrine of the DC 15: Terrible cysts are small lesions in the earth caused

weaponmaster stems from the events that transpired there, by the presence of great evil.

not from any physical aspect of the location. Thus, shrines DC 20: A terrible cyst persists until a powerful evil crea-

vary widely in appearance, though many are found in ture draws power from it.

areas of extreme danger, since such locations tend to DC 25: An evil creature that draws forth the power of

require the exceptional feats of arms that give a shrine of a terrible cyst focuses it into a devastating physical attack

the weaponmaster its magic. against a good creature.

Prerequisite: Only a character with a +5 or higher base Description: A terrible cyst looks like an oozing, cancer-

attack bonus and proficiency with all martial weapons ous blemish in the earth itself. Each cyst occupies only a

can access the power contained within a shrine of the 10-foot-by-10-foot area, but its horrid stench extends much

weaponmaster. farther. The vegetation in the affected area lingers in a state

Location Activation: To claim the power of a shrine of of rot, and the ground itself reeks of carrion. The whole

the weaponmaster, a qualified warrior must stand within area glows with a dim, sickening red light.

its confines and draw its power into himself by force of An evil creature imbued with the power of the cyst

will. Doing so requires a full-round action and provokes glows briefly with the same red radiance when it makes

attacks of opportunity. A shrine of the weaponmaster holds a smite attack against a good creature. Although this

enough power to affect up to five qualified creatures glow sheds no useful amount of illumination, it does

simultaneously. give the creature’s countenance a rough, demonic cast.

Recharge: Once a shrine of the weaponmaster has con- In addition, the cyst’s connection to the Abyss twists

ferred its ability on five creatures, it cannot confer it again the creature’s visage into a horrible mask of pure hatred.

for 30 days. These effects are only momentary, and the creature

Special Ability: The magic of the shrine grants the returns to its normal appearance as soon as it completes

affected warrior great insight into the use of weapons. its smite attack.

Each morning after he acquires the power, he can spend Prerequisite: Only an evil creature with at least five

248 15 minutes practicing his newfound martial knowledge character levels can draw forth the power of a terrible cyst.

CHAPTER 7

MAGIC

ITEMS

Illus. by E. Cox

A terrible cyst turns everything in its vicinity into rot and ruin

Location Activation: Any qualified creature that Duration: The conferred ability lasts until the creature

enters a cyst immediately becomes aware of the dark that holds it perishes.

power held within it and knows intuitively how to Aura: Strong transmutation.

access that power. To claim the ability granted by a Ability Value: 2,500 gp.

terrible cyst, the creature must stand within its confines

and draw its power into itself by force of will. Doing so WATCHPOST OF VIGILANCE

requires three full-round actions and provokes attacks Though less obvious than other acts of heroism, heroic

of opportunity. vigilance also leaves its mark on the very ground where

During this process, the cyst shrinks and is absorbed it occurred. A watchpost of vigilance, as such a site is called,

into the surrounding terrain, as if the abyssal infection might form on a distant mountain peak where a lone druid

afflicting the land were actually healing. A cyst that is watched over the northern lands for decades before finally

healing has no ill effect on creatures within it, but the bringing word of an approaching army to the communities

terrain does retain a lingering aura of evil until the cyst in the nearby foothills. Alternatively, it could form in an

has completely healed. ancient dwarf redoubt, or in an elf watchpost concealed

Recharge: If an evil creature dies while holding the in the forest’s high branches.

power of a terrible cyst, a new one forms at the spot where Lore: Characters can gain the following pieces of infor-

its body falls. Thus, any given terrible cyst confers its power mation about a watchpost of vigilance by making Knowledge

only once, but the death of the creature that absorbed this (history) checks at the appropriate DCs, as given below.

power regenerates the cyst in a new location. DC 10: A watchpost of vigilance forms because of some

Special Ability (Su): Upon draining power from a heroic act of vigilance that took place at the site in

terrible cyst, a creature gains the ability to smite a good foe question.

once per day. On a successful attack against a good-aligned DC 15: A successful check at this level allows the charac-

opponent, the creature adds its character level to its damage ter to learn the basic details of the specific act of heroism

roll (maximum +20). that created a particular watchpost of vigilance. 249

DC 20: A watchpost of vigilance is more than a simple MAGIC ARMOR AND SHIELD
footnote to history. The power held within it grants those SPECIAL ABILITY DESCRIPTIONS

who stand watch there sharper eyes and quicker reactions Like the armor special abilities described in the Dungeon

to danger than normal. Master’s Guide, the following qualities can be combined

Description: Although watchposts of vigilance vary in in any magic armor a character creates. However, all the

size, most are no greater than 20 feet by 20 feet. Regardless abilities described in this section must be activated in order

of its actual appearance, a watchpost of vigilance commands to function, and their descriptions are broken down into

an excellent view of the surrounding areas. Even in the sections, as follows.

tight confines of a dwarf stronghold, such a site might

CHAPTER 7 occur at an important crossroads, or in some other place ABILITY DESCRIPTION FORMAT

MAGIC that grants a relatively wide view of the area. The general nature of the armor is described first.
ITEMS
Prerequisite: Only a creature with an Intelligence score Description: This section details how the armor looks

of 5 or higher can benefit from the effect of a watchpost and how the wearer looks and feels when its special ability

of vigilance. is activated.

Location Activation: To claim the power of a watchpost Prerequisite: Any other special ability that the armor

of vigilance, a qualified creature must spend a minimum of must have to acquire the ability in question is noted here.

8 hours within its confines and draw its power into itself Activation: The method of activating the special ability

by force of will. A watchpost of vigilance holds enough power is described in this section.

to affect up to five qualified creatures simultaneously. Effect: This section details the effect of the special ability.

Recharge: Once a watchpost of vigilance has conferred Any limitations on usage and duration are also specified.

its ability on five creatures, it cannot confer it again for Aura/Caster Level: This section presents the aura type

24 hours. and strength, as well as the caster level of the effect.

Special Ability (Su): A watchpost of vigilance sharpens Construction: The creation requirements for armor

the awareness, vision, and hearing of an affected creature with this ability are given here.

and quickens its reaction times. The creature gains a +2 Price: This entry provides the bonus equivalent or extra

enhancement bonus on initiative rolls and on Spot and gp value of adding the ability to armor. (These values are

Listen checks as long as it remains within the watchpost summarized on Table 7–3.)

and for 24 hours after leaving it.

Duration: Each incarnation of the watchpost of vigilance Table 7–3: Armor and Shield Special Abilities

affects creatures while they are within its confines, and Special Ability Base Price Modifier
a full 24 hours after the creature leaves the small area of
the site. Energy defense +3 bonus

Aura: Moderate divination. Energy immunity +3 bonus
Ability Value: 1,500 gp (300 gp per affected creature).
Fortifying defense (with light fortification) +3 bonus

Fortifying defense (with moderate fortification) +4 bonus

Slippery aura +45,000 gp

Slippery mind +45,000 gp

Fortifying defense (with heavy fortification) +5 bonus

ARMOR SPECIAL ABILITIES Spell trapping +5 bonus

The following armor rules supplement the armor and ENERGY DEFENSE [SYNERGY]

shield special abilities found on page 216 of the Dungeon This special ability enhances armor that already pro-

Master’s Guide. vides potent protection against a certain type of energy.

SYNERGY ABILITIES Specifically, any energy against which the armor would
normally provide protection is redirected to give the

A few of the special abilities described in the following wearer additional defensive capabilities against more

section are called synergy abilities. Such an ability has a pre- mundane attacks.

requisite, much as a prestige class or a feat does. Specifically, a Description: Energy defense armor bears a motif

suit of armor must already possess a particular ability before similar to that of energy resistance armor. However, cer-

a synergy ability can be added to it. Otherwise, synergy abili- tain elements of the armor—such as flanges, spikes, and

ties function the same as any other armor special ability. other decorations—indicate that it has some offensive

Despite the hefty requirements for adding synergy capabilities as well.

abilities to armor, most adventurers consider them well Upon activation, the energy defense ability wreathes the

worth the cost. Some synergy abilities magnify their wearer’s body in the element from which its energy resistance

prerequisite special abilities, others add new abilities that property already provides protection. Creatures that attack

work in conjunction with the armor’s other qualities, and the wearer in melee are struck by leaping darts of energy

250 still others do both. that dance from the armor’s surface to their weapons.